


Powered UP!

by alizarin_scribbles



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Alcohol, Canon-Typical Violence, Crime Drama, Dissociation, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Family Feels, Gen, Hallucinations, Haphephobia, Hostage Situation, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Medical settings, Menstruation, Misogyny, Past Toxic Relationship with an OC, Private Investigators, References to Depression, Serial Killers, Shared Mourning, Suicide Threats, Suspense, Unfortunately Inherent Cop Propaganda, ask to tag, reference to rape/non-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2021-02-07 11:40:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 50,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21457450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alizarin_scribbles/pseuds/alizarin_scribbles
Summary: As things come to an end, people search for something new, something lasting to reach for. But some stay stuck in the past, holding onto things that no longer exist. And as Kaede traces her way down a path of vengeance, Barnaby joins her quest to keep her from straying too far into dangerous territory. Kaede-centric with TaiBani elements. COMPLETE.
Relationships: Barnaby "Bunny" Brooks Jr. & Kaburagi Kaede, Barnaby "Bunny" Brooks Jr./Kaburagi T. Kotetsu, Mild Ryan/Nathan
Kudos: 3





	1. The End

**Author's Note:**

> [_All characters except for the obvious OCs (Edmond, Sharon, Layla, etc.) belong to Sunrise/Bandai Namco Pictures, the creators/owners of Tiger and Bunny. All OCs in this fanfiction were created by me. This fic was originally posted on FF.Net [here](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11129863/1/Powered-UP) by me, and the author's notes have been modified to better fit this site's structure. This fanwork is free to view and download, and always will be. If you have ever been asked to pay for access in any way to this fanwork on alternative hosting sites/mobile apps, know that I have never consented to any for-profit reposts and you're being ripped off. If you like this, please consider leaving a comment on the original as well. Thanks!_]
> 
> Hello, readers, it is with great pleasure that I can share my first multi-chap for this fandom with all of you. Now, this was originally supposed to follow the plot of Pixar's _Up!_ but it doesn't follow the movie all that closely, and it really strays way off track the further into the story we get. I know I said the fic would be Kaede-centric too, but it will start focusing more on Kaede next chapter (this chapter is mostly TaiBani for the moment). As for the timeline, the story begins about two years after _Tiger and Bunny: The Rising_. I likely screwed up consistency with Bunny's age, but eh, it's not too big a deal, I think. Also, turn back if you don't want your heart smashed into nine million little pieces because this fic has plenty of FEELS to go around.
> 
> Anyhow, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> -Reddie

"Well, nothing lasts forever anyway." Kotetsu leaned back, staring back at the Hero suit on the wall, then to his empty palm. He wasn't quite ready to believe it yet. Summoning the focus back to his mind, he tried powering up, hoping to see at least a faint flicker of the familiar blue glow. But the only thing surrounding him was the darkness of the lockers. He couldn't help the way his heart sank like an anchor at the thought. How could this happen now of all times, while the ratings were dropping and crime rates rising? Kotetsu had so much left to do. He wasn't ready to deal with this just yet.

But when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, he was at least a little soothed to know he wouldn't deal with this alone.

"You going to be okay, Old Man?" Barnaby asked, his voice even but lined with the subtlest hint of concern. Kotetsu shifted towards the glowing figure behind him, making a fist with his empty hand. Whether anyone liked it or not, it was happening now, and sulking would help no one.

Teasingly, he punched his partner and laughed heartily, "What are you talking about? I'll be fine! This has been a long time coming, so it's not like I'm surprised."

"Kotetsu." Barnaby glared at him, hurt surfacing through the watery glint in his blue eyes. Kotetsu sighed, knowing Barnaby saw right through him. His true sentiments probably gave themselves away on the inflection he used in "surprise". That was probably it.

"Okay, maybe I take back the last part. But I meant it when I said I'd be okay, so don't worry _too_ much about me."

At last, Barnaby powered down, settling beside his partner. They looked to one another for a long quiet moment, trying to communicate through a gaze what lips could not.

Turning away from him, Barnaby said, "You can still keep going. I mean, if that's what you want…"

"But… what do you want, Barnaby?"

A pale palm fell over a calloused tan hand, forcing amber eyes up to green.

"I just want to stay by your side, no matter what." Barnaby said, his voice gentle but edged with such an air of dedication that Kotetsu couldn't help but feel so blessed to have him of all people as a partner.

Chuckling, Kotetsu brought a hand through Barnaby's blonde curls before pulling him in for a brief kiss. As they parted, Barnaby tried furiously to hide the blush on his face without any success. Kotetsu suppressed a snicker, heart bounding in his chest at such a precious sight. He really was like a cute little bunny.

"Then that's what I want too."

* * *

_Hero TV_ could only go downhill from that point on, to the point where even Agnes knew they were beat. A generation trend had started where many NEXTs were opting to go to police academy in lieu of becoming commercial Heroes. Faraway dreams of reaching for glory and endless points were replaced by more obtainable goals of graduation and donning the badge. On top of that, state scientists were developing powerful armored suits for use of the police, reserved for cases involving more dangerous NEXT criminals. And even Saito couldn't help but whisper words of envy and dismay once he'd seen those police suits in action.

Then there came a day at last when Barnaby and Kotetsu stood before a large notice on the door. It was a familiar sight to Kotetsu, but that didn't make it any less heartbreaking than the last time. Slinging an arm around his equally distraught younger partner, he pivoted on his heels back towards the elevator.

Barnaby leaned against the wall, looking as if caught in a dissociative daze. A couple of years ago, after he and Kotetsu had been reinstated as a team, the world held so much endless potential. He felt like he could just keep going, and he was willing to stretch his dreams to whatever length of infinity they could reach, so long as he was standing by Kotetsu's side all the while. But with the death of _Hero TV_, there came a sort of sentiment of desolation, of constraint and limitation, a feeling that there was no such thing as forever.

But with one look at amber eyes, he was able to shake his head of the thought.

"Hey, I got a text from Antonio." Kotetsu piped up weakly.

Leaning over to peek at the phone, Barnaby inquired, "What'd he say?"

"Having an unofficial company farewell party tonight at seven."

"At the bar?"

"Yup. You wanna go?"

Closing his eyes and smiling, Barnaby replied, "Well, there's no reason not to."

On that note, the elevator doors opened up, and the two headed back to their ride.

* * *

The sounds of piano and smell of alcohol wafted about the air, clashing and complementing one another as they mingled in the bar atmosphere. While Ryan was prattling grumbles with Antonio about how unfair that the show had to fall through while he was just starting to really get into it, Nathan glanced over to Kotetsu with concern, noticing the way those amber eyes flitted between his watch and the front door, and how he kept digging through the left pocket of his slacks. A stray cordovan strand fell out of place, leading Nathan to scooch over from their seat and slick it back with the rest of Kotetsu's hair. Kotetsu sent a grateful look their way, but the nervousness in those amber eyes wasn't hard to detect.

"It's going to be okay, honey." Nathan comforted, earning only a weak nod and smile. They persisted, "Even if he says no, remember he said he wanted to stay by your side no matter what."

"I know." Kotetsu sat back, straightening out his back. At the sight of Barnaby emerging through the doorway, he took in a deep breath, puffing out his chest as a stance of confidence.

"Looks like it's show time." Antonio piped up from his corner with a laugh, holding up his bottle. Ryan hooted, obviously drunk. Adjusting his collar, Kotetsu stood up and made his way over to Barnaby.

Nathan giggled, cheering him on, "You go get him, tiger."

Greeting his beloved Bunny with a hearty embrace, Kotetsu's heartrate picked up in his chest at the thought of what was to come, all his hopes for the future being determined by the answer to a yes or no question.

Taking a step back, Barnaby smiled, "So, what was that surprise you mentioned earlier? Gonna show me or what?"

"Right this way, Lil Bunny." Kotetsu said, swinging one arm around his partner and then tucking his left hand back inside his slacks pocket. Huddling close to him, he whispered, "I got you something."

Barnaby groaned, "I'm not sure I want a tangible item to commemorate a farewell. That's just sad."

"Oh no, you've got it wrong. This is for something_ entirely_ different."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"Heh. You'll see. But we've talked about this before, so don't act too surprised."

The team greeted from the corner, with Karina glancing over to them from the center stage as she took a bow. It had taken her a while to come to terms with Barnaby and Kotetsu's relationship, but she'd finally come to accept them after battling her impossible and childish dream of being with Kotetsu. She could face it, that he was far too old for her and that in the end, those special sentiments belonged to someone else. And as she let go, she was able to find a smile on her face at the sight of them happy together.

She ran over to them as the next performer took over, not wanting to miss the look on Barnaby's face for that moment. As she made it to the corner, she gasped, delighted to find that she'd made it just in time, as Kotetsu dropped a knee to the ground.

"I've been down this road before," Kotetsu slipped the ring out of his left pocket and held it up, "And if you're willing to come with me this time, I'll go again. What do you say?"

Barnaby covered his mouth, his face taking on the shade of his favorite jacket. And when the right words formed in his mouth, they slipped off his tongue as a choked up response.

"Old Man, you sap!" he said, sinking to his knees to embrace Kotetsu. The older man brought Barnaby to stand up, placing a kiss on one of his flushed cheeks.

"So is that a yes?" He whispered, causing Barnaby to shove him.

"Don't be an idiot!" Barnaby readjusted his glasses, "What reason could I possibly have to say no?"

With this, Kotetsu let out a roar of a laugh, drawing Barnaby back into his arms. His heart welled up with delight when the younger man's arms came up around him too, clinging tightly. The noises of the whole bar applauding (and Ryan's incredibly loud "YEAH!") were drowned out by the sound of Kotetsu's heartbeat. Barnaby was glad to hear it, a song of life echoing in this old man's chest, a sound that wasn't about to fade out anytime soon.

Leave it to Kotetsu to make him feel like there was no such thing as a real ending.

* * *

"Oops, you got a bit of frosting there, Bunny," Kotetsu dabbed at his groom's face affectionately, eliciting a snicker from Barnaby as he leaned against the older man's shoulder.

Kaede sipped her glass of apple cider as she watched the pair across the table, the way Barnaby grinned so earnestly at her dad, and the fond, tender look her dad sent in reply. And as Antonio proposed a toast, she also couldn't help but notice how the light caught in their wedding bands as they held their glasses of rosé up to the ceiling before clinking them together.

"How happy…" she couldn't help but whisper to herself, against the edge of her glass. "How very, very happy." But there was an air of emptiness to the words.

She remembered first finding out about her dad's relationship with Barnaby, and when she gave the idea of them together some thought, she wasn't upset to have to let go of her little celebrity crush. She came to love the idea of them together, especially since it made her dad look that much happier and that less longing. So initially, the news had delighted her when she'd found out her dad was getting married again, and to Barnaby of all people, a man she knew she could trust to hold her father's heart. But as time went on, Kaede grew less excited, grew more encumbered as her ruminations piled.

Did this marriage mean that her mother had been replaced?

That was the question that bothered her the most, the one that tapped against the back of her skull as she walked home from school each day. There was nothing wrong with Barnaby as her dad's husband. But to accept the man as her stepdad was an entirely different story. No one could ever replace her mother, no matter how wonderful they were. And she wanted to be able to look at Barnaby with utter confidence and be able to call him family too, to really accept him. But part of her heart kept telling her that would be wrong, that accepting Barnaby like that would mean rejecting her mother. It sounded like an immature thought to her the more she turned it over in her head, but she still couldn't bring herself to really feel that way.

The lights had gone down, and now they were dancing together, Kotetsu stepping all over Barnaby's feet like a klutz. Their laughter geared her away from those thoughts, and she sipped her cider again, glancing down hopefully at the wristwatch her dad had given her for her birthday.

Maybe if she gave it a bit more time, these reluctant feelings would change.

* * *

After much back and forth discussion/argument, it was decided that the pair would move into Barnaby's apartment, and see how that worked out. At first, it went well, but after receiving a couple of complaints for noise, they found the walls to be perhaps a bit too thin for their liking. Kotetsu thought nothing of it the four times they'd answered the door, but Barnaby was just praying such complaints were of the sounds of argument rather than anything else. The embarrassment of that other possibility, however, finally got to him after about a year, and that was when Barnaby suggested they live elsewhere.

They then shifted over to Kotetsu's place, which had been permeated with the inspirational odor of fried rice. Barnaby took up attempts to make Kotetsu's favorite dish once again, only to end up spilling it all over the floor. The attempts had stopped for a while, only to resume after Kotetsu had made some for them to share for dinner one night. After a few more attempts, Barnaby had finally gotten it right, albeit the result was still a little dry. Even so, Kotetsu had told his husband it was the best fried rice he'd ever eaten.

Months went by, bringing with it impromptu unpaid crime-fighting sprees thanks to Kotetsu's nosiness, and phone calls from Kaede, who seemed increasingly out of it each and every time. Her eyes developed a faraway look, and she started blanking out in the middle of her sentences at the sight of Barnaby passing by in the background. Kotetsu couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with her, but Barnaby assumed the reason to her dejection: she missed her father. So, as any decent spouse would do, it was only appropriate to bring her father back home to her, especially with the frost beginning to form at the corners of their bedroom window. The holidays were drawing near, and such a season was meant to be spent with family.

After visiting the Brooks grave on Christmas Eve, Barnaby proposed they go to Oriental Town to pay a visit to Kotetsu's family as well. And that was how they ended up gliding down the chilly bridge out of Sternbild around moonrise, the stars and streetlights catching on the glint of Barnaby's glasses as he sped towards their destination.

When they arrived, they'd found Kaede asleep on the couch, the television still running with broadcasts of a skating competition. Kotetsu smiled warmly at the precious sight, before carrying her back to her room and tucking her in for the night. Barnaby meanwhile, greeted Muramasa who had just come home from work. He seemed troubled, to Barnaby's concern, and that was when Muramasa revealed the fact that Anju's health was in decline, and that she likely didn't have much time left. It couldn't help but hit a sour chord with Barnaby, as he glanced back at Kotetsu coming back from Kaede's room. Later that evening, Barnaby turned restlessly on the futon, waking his spouse with words of concern and worry. He filled Kotetsu in on Anju's condition. And that was when it was decided between them that this visit should become a move.

A week later of shuttling back and forth between Sternbild and Oriental Town, the pair settled into the home for many years to come into the rest of their marriage. Over two decades, they shared both the best and worst experiences, from Anju's funeral to Kaede's graduation from high school. They shared a passion for helping others in whatever way they could, giving talks at schools, feeding the local homeless, donating new toys to the orphanage around the holidays. They shared years filled with fond and bittersweet anniversaries, ones that celebrated life and death and love they'd come to know. They shared stories at the liquor store, trips down memory lane from their separate childhoods, and breathtaking views from the top of the neighboring mountain. They shared bottles of the same rosé and shochu and whiskey, drunken and hungover kisses, inebriated and sleepy embraces as tears rolled down wrinkling cheeks over everyone they'd lost in their lifetimes. The fact that they were both still here made them want to hold onto one another even tighter.

Then they'd think of Kaede, and her future, and both of them agreed that they didn't want to leave her with an empty, lonely one. So they shared constant promises to take better care of their health, to take care of each other, to live and not die just yet, for her sake if not their own.

* * *

But as time swept on, immunity and health decreased in their aging bodies, and no amount of vinegar could ward off the progressive weakening of Kotetsu's heart. Twenty years of marriage were finally rolling to a close, much to Barnaby's aggressive disbelief.

On the night Kotetsu first spent alone in the hospital, Barnaby ran to the mountains, banging his fists against the rough bark of trees until blood and bruises formed on his glowing blue skin. It took Muramasa and the town police to get him to calm down, to return him home where he cried bitterly in the bathroom until sunrise, begging through the whole night with the hopes that if there was some higher being up there to answer prayers, that his would be answered, or that the inevitable be delayed just a while longer.

Waking up with an aching side against the ceramic tile, he looked at his haggard reflection in disgust, glad at least that Kaede wasn't here to see him like this. At the thought of her, he found strength, and he slowly began to accept what was to come. He needed to pull together for her sake, to be someone she could lean on and rely on for support even long after Kotetsu was gone. He needed to be a hero for her if she needed him.

So Barnaby began laughing along with Kotetsu's jokes, how he was surprised it was the old man's heart that gave out first and not his liver. He began discussing funeral plans, helping Kotetsu organize his will, and staying long past visiting hours were over as Kotetsu insisted. Barnaby began powering up in the middle of the night when he received calls from his dying spouse, so he could pass by Kotetsu's window just to wave hello or blow a kiss shortly before returning home.

Then Kotetsu would ease back into his bed, slightly happier from just having seen Barnaby outside his window, before he closed his eyes with the knowledge that the next morning possibly didn't hold an opportunity for him to wake up.

He couldn't help but liken this to his waning powers, feeling as though his time limit for consciousness was ticking off second by second with each passing month. And that made it easier to accept and deal with coming towards the end of the road. He'd gone through something like this before, so he could definitely deal with this kind of situation again.


	2. Family Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a note, this is my first time writing crime genre, and I'm not completely familiar with the terminology, so pardon any misuse of terms. I did a bit of research, but I'm not certain of how reliable the information was :/ Also, for chapter updates, expect them to come sometime during the weekends, unless life gets in the way :P
> 
> Anyhow, onto Kaede!
> 
> -Reddie

"_I'll be finishing up and getting my degree in a few months," Kaede told her dad, "so even if you can't make it to the graduation ceremony, I'll make sure to bring along a ton of pictures so you don't miss a thing."_

"_Sure thing, sweetie," Kotetsu laughed, ruffling her hair, pretending not to notice the blue flower clip hiding at the back. "Oh, Kaede. I'm so proud of you. You're turning out to be such a mature, capable woman. Just like your mother."_

"…_Thanks, Dad." She managed, barely able to get the words out as she choked back tears. "That means a lot. Did you get to see Barnaby today?"_

"_Not yet. I texted him, but he hasn't responded. I think he might be sleeping."_

_She shook her head, laughing lightly, "That's probably because you keep calling him in the middle of the night."_

"_What? He told you about all of that?" Kotetsu pressed a palm to his forehead, embarrassed._

_She shook her head, "I was driving down the lane by the hospital one night when I spotted him on the fire escape. He was all powered up and everything, so I'm guessing that's how you two get around visiting hours." She scolded mildly, "You really shouldn't have him do that, Dad. It might get him in legal trouble, and he could get hurt."_

"_Well, it's not like I told him he had to come." Kotetsu leaned back, "I just call him saying I miss him is all, because I wanna hear the sound of his voice, and then there he is, at the window, the idiot." Kaede laughed a little harder, shaking her head. Her dad's eyes drifted towards the clock on the wall, "Yep, I sure am a lucky man. Love like that usually comes only once in a lifetime."_

"… _and so, then, what about Mom?" Kaede murmurs._

"_Eh, it's a bit of a tough feeling, actually." Kotetsu lowers his voice. "If there's a heaven up there somewhere, I can only look forward to seeing her again. She meant a lot to me, and she still means a lot to me. Barnaby never really replaced her in my heart, but that doesn't mean I don't love him any less or any more than I loved her. I mean, I married the guy, and that should say an awful lot by itself." He blew out a big sigh, "Wow, I really am turning into a rambling old man. Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is, my feelings are torn between wanting to go and wanting to stay. I mean, if I go now, at least I'll get to see Tomoe again. But then that means I leave Bunny behind, and the thought of him living all alone again just… it breaks my heart, you know?" _

"_Mm." was the only sound Kaede could make._

"_Say, come to think about it, how do you feel about Bunny?"_

"_I'm not… sure." Kaede hung her head, "It's a tough feeling for me too."_

"_Eh? What's that supposed to mean?" Kotetsu nudged jokingly, "Don't tell me you're gonna swoop out from under your old man and try to claim him for yourself, are you? Wow, didn't know childhood crushes could die that hard."_

"_Shut up!" She laughed, nudging back, "It's not that at all. See, the way I feel about Barnaby… I do consider him family. I have for a very long time. And I want to be able to say I feel like he's my dad too, but… then I think of Mom. And I don't want him to take her place. I really wish I could find the same sort of balance you did, but I never really…"_

"_Well, I can't tell you what to feel, Kaede. It's perfectly fine if you don't see him that way. But keep in mind that, if you do want to accept him as a parent, that doesn't necessarily mean rejecting your mother, you know?"_

_She repeated, a little more emptily, "Mm." Kotetsu's eyes wandered back to the clock._

"_Say, what time did you say your next class was again?"_

"_3:30 PM. Why?"_

"_Uh… It's 2:47."_

"_Oh!" Kaede picked up her bag, "Okay, I gotta go!"_

_He laughed, "I know, that's why I said."_

"_Thanks, Dad!" She gave a wave, rushing out of the room, "I love you, see you tomorrow!"_

If she'd known that was going to be the day, she would've missed class to stay with him a little longer.

* * *

It's been exactly a year now, so she'd have to visit him. Taking a glance at the clock on the wall, she heaved a sigh and stood up to close her office for the day. The florist surely wasn't open anymore, so her dad would have to make do with just a visit.

When she got there, she saw that someone had left fresh vibrant red roses on his grave. And of course she knew who it was. She didn't linger too long, and after about twenty minutes of talking to the sky, she waved her father's grave goodbye for the day.

Pale gray clouds covered all traces of blue in the darkening sky, bringing with them an autumnal chill, which was odd for springtime. It was sunny the day of her father's funeral, perhaps a sign that he'd been happily reunited with his first spouse at last, an indicator of some afterlife where an old familiar love awaited him. But Kaede couldn't help but feel for Barnaby that day, how the weather must've felt like a knife in the back, like disgustingly distasteful irony, for it to be such a beautiful day out while the love of his life lay buried under shovelful after shovelful of rough, gravelly dirt.

She couldn't help but feel some morsel of regret with how she acted towards him at the funeral. She should've called Barnaby, to ask if he was okay after the funeral. She should've offered to drive him home, or waited for him to finish his sentence when he was struggling to find words, when he was drowning in the middle of that awful, empty feeling. He opened his door to her, texted her the entry number to his old apartment in Sternbild, to his place of temporary escape from the memories of those last twenty long years together in Oriental Town. A change of scenery didn't sound like a bad offer at the time.

But she backed away from him.

* * *

Plopping back onto his chair, Barnaby shrugged off his favorite leather jacket and dialed the number one more time, hoping Kaede would pick up at least by mistake. It's been months since the funeral, and when he called Muramasa in an attempt to get in touch with her, he was told she'd long since moved out to open her own private investigations office in a city just a few miles further north than Oriental Town. Muramasa had no idea of the exact address or even which city in particular, since she'd never been all that close to her uncle, so that left Barnaby in the dark and utterly frustrated. He promised Kotetsu he'd be able to take care of her, and frankly, if he couldn't find her, he didn't know what else he could do with his life. She's the reason he fought to hold his sanity together when it felt like the world was falling apart at the limbs.

He wanted to be able to be a good parent to her, even if she never really saw him as one as far as he could tell.

"_Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice-messaging system_," the phone droned out, "_Please leave your message for_ Kaede Kaburagi _after the_—"

Barnaby hung up, draping an arm over his face, "Why doesn't she ever answer?"

Dropping the phone, he reclined in his seat, turning his monitor and projector on to show old pictures from the wedding. Even as he felt the clench in his chest at the sight of Kotetsu, strong and smiling and _alive_, he continued flipping through the album. The pain soon dissipated in the warm, fluttery nostalgia, thankful that he could be certain that these were all genuine memories, events that had actually happened in his lifetime.

Kotetsu had actually once been his husband, and just that thought put him at ease.

Caught in his sentimental mood, he rose from his seat to pluck a certain bottle from the wine rack in his kitchen, pouring himself a glass. And when he closed his eyes, it tasted the same as it did that day, and for a brief moment, the world felt endless again.

* * *

The numbers to the apartment danced incessantly around Kaede's head, tormenting her even as she tried to bury herself in the details of the recent case requests she'd been given. The offer still stood to go back to Sternbild and see Barnaby, but of course her own worries still held her back. It wasn't as if she couldn't afford a trip all the way down there. Her last two cases earned her a hefty paycheck, so she could definitely afford the fuel.

She wanted to go so badly, just to see that he was okay, but what if… _it_ happened? She would've been walking right into the situation if she put herself in contact with Barnaby, wouldn't she? No, she couldn't let _it_ happen. It was best not to leave anything to chance after all if she wanted to preserve her last treasure from her dad.

An older man knocked on her door, a folder in his hand.

"Come in," she called, not bothering to get the door herself. The client let himself in, tugging his scarf over his lips. Kaede swiveled around in her chair, making sure to keep good distance from the stranger as she stood up. He held out his hand for her to shake, but she merely gave a bow towards him, hoping it would be polite enough to satisfy this potential client. He merely blinked, confused but thinking nothing special of her bowing gesture.

"Good afternoon. My name is Edmond Shale-Banks." He nodded in her direction, tipping his hat to her, "Are you Miss Kaede Kaburagi?"

"Yes, I am. Do you have a case request, Sir?"

"But of course." He handed her the folder, "I've come here to ask for an investigation into the death of my daughter, Sharon Shale. She was undergoing treatment for leukemia at the Century Center for Health before she passed away quite suddenly." At the sound of this, Kaede scrunched the corners of her lacquered lips ever so slightly and blew out a substantial sigh.

"That doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary. She likely died of natural causes given her state." Shaking her head, she reached behind her for the case request she'd been reviewing. "I don't see a need to investigate her death if there was no murderer."

"Well… call it a gut feeling, Miss Kaburagi, but something was quite off the last time I saw her. She was in a daze, but she's usually so happy to see me."

"So then, what are you implying by that? That she was drugged by her doctor? It's a hospital. Of course they were going to put her on _something_ if they didn't want her to be in pain for her treatments."

"But something was _wrong_!" He asserted, nearly grabbing hold of her arm to make a point. Very luckily, she managed to pull the arm out of his reach, before glaring at him irritably.

"_Please_ refrain from touching me." She demanded flatly, following up with a lie, "I am highly germaphobic."

Shrinking backwards in embarrassment, he bowed to her, "My apologies, Miss Kaburagi. But it's really so important to me and the rest of my family that you look into our case. We did trust the doctors, but something seemed so wrong that day that I just couldn't shake it off. So I just had to come to you because people kept saying you're the best in Century City, and we needed to be sure that nothing awful had truly happened."

"Well, Mister Shale-Banks," Kaede asserted, crossing her arms, "I am a private investigator, not a grief counselor. If you're that desperately in need of closure in regards to your daughter's death, I suggest going to a support group to resolve your dilemma." She turned her back on him, watching him in the reflection of the glass behind her desk. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have case requests to review. I hope you have a pleasant day."

"Miss Kaburagi… please." Edmond dropped to his knees, trying to hold his voice even. "She was my only daughter, and she was _so young_, only four. I would've given the world for her, suffered that wretched disease in her place if I could have." His voice shook, "I _need_ to know that no one had taken my baby from me. I'm her _dad_. If I can't give her at least this much then… what good am I as a parent?" Kaede turned back around to look down at him, only to see him fall apart on her office floor.

"Alright, alright then." She conceded, "Please get up. That's very unbecoming of a man your age."

"So you'll take my case?" He asked hopefully, standing up.

"I will_ review_ your case request _thoroughly,_" she replied, "and if I see fit, then I will take it on. If not, you'll have to find someone else to consider your case." Edmond's eyes glittered at this, and it took all his willpower not to burst forward and embrace her.

"Thank you so much!" He bowed enthusiastically.

"You're welcome. Now, please be on your way, I have other requests to review."

"Not a problem, Miss Kaburagi," he said, heading out the door, "thank you for your time."

"Don't mention it." She muttered, opening up the last case request she'd been looking at before as he shut the door behind him. Reaching for her coffee, Edmond's folder fell open on the ground, causing her to grumble as she turned in her chair to pick it up. That was when she saw the name.

And now, with this piece of information glaring her in the face, she couldn't help but feel that, despite the risks, it was finally time for her to turn to Sternbild.

* * *

The walls in Barnaby's apartment complex must've been pretty thin because she could hear him singing along to music down the hall. Did he do this every day? If so, she was surprised he hadn't received any complaints.

Coming to a full stop in front of the door, she froze, tempted to turn back as her hand hovered over the passcode pad.

"Come on, Kaede," she laughed to herself under her breath, hand shaking, "this won't be that difficult. You've been avoiding _it_ with strangers for a year now. It won't be any different with Barnaby. You just have to talk to him. That's all."

Drawing in a deep breath, she punched in the passcode and pushed open the door.

Barnaby turned to her, nearly dropping the wine glass in his hand. Kaede couldn't help the unhappy pang in her heart once she'd seen the wedding video playing across the screen. Utterly mortified that his stepdaughter had caught him at such a pitiful moment, he immediately moved a hand to turn off the projector and sound, and flicked his wrist to turn on the lights. She stayed at the doorway, stock still and unwilling to move. Just to make sure, he took up his glasses and flipped them on.

"Kaede…" he spoke softly, his voice worn thin by age and loneliness. He could hardly believe his eyes, even as he gravitated towards the door, "Kaede, is that really you?"

"Yeah." She raised a hand, waving weakly, "Hi, Barnaby. I have something I need to ask you." Much to her relief, he stopped halfway towards the door, gesturing from a distance.

"By all means. Please, come right in." He said, laughing breathlessly, making his way back to his seat. Tentatively, she set her foot through the door way, placing one shoe after the other with precise movements, walking only up the edge of the stairs in his little circle. He settled back down in his chair, taking up his wine glass again. It further saddened her when she saw it was the exact same brand of rosé from the wedding. Taking a sip, he noticed her eyes fixated on the bottle, which prompted him to ask, "Say, you're of age now, right? Would you like a glass?"

"Huh? Oh, no, thanks, I'm fine."

"Alright then." He said, pouring a little more in his own glass, "So, what finally brings you here after all this time?"

"To fill you in, I've been running a private investigations office up north. Earlier this afternoon, I got a case request about the death of Sharon Shale, a young girl from Century City." She explained, settling to her rear on the edge of the stairs, knees bent and feet tucked within a good distance from Barnaby. "She was four, and she had leukemia, so I didn't think there was any reasonable cause to investigate her death. The father kept insisting I take the case however, so I accepted his request in order to quiet him down. I was planning on taking a glance at it and then rejecting the case, but then the name of her doctor came up." She paused, unsure of how to proceed with her next sentence. Barnaby didn't take bad news very well, especially in regards to his loved ones, and personally, she herself was still pretty unwilling to even say it out loud. She didn't want to believe there was any connection, but a bit of digging around proved a rather significant link.

"What was the doctor's name?" Barnaby urged, leaning forward in his seat, elbows on his knees.

"Dr. Layla C. Page." She barely managed, only a notch above a whisper, "Sound familiar at all?" Barnaby blinked, readjusting his glasses.

"She was one of Kotetsu's therapists, right?" Casting her eyes to the side for a brief second, Kaede nodded.

"Now, doesn't that strike you as a little odd? For her to be working with children for one hospital, and then caring for a terminal adult in another?"

He shrugged, "…a bit. But I don't think that really means anything. I mean, maybe she's a family doctor, so she could've easily worked with patients of different ages with different diseases. As for the two different hospitals, she probably quit the one Kotetsu was in to work in Century City. You know, for better pay."

Kaede shook her head, "I did some research on her. The records in the Century Center for Health say she's a pediatrician for cancer patients. It said nothing about any of her experience as a family doctor."

"She was probably formerly a family doctor then. They might've just forgotten to update her records since she first started working there. Information mishaps happen all the time, even with dependable databases."

"Oh, _wake up_, Barnaby." Kaede stood up, "I came here to ask for your help in this investigation. Because you understand what's involved here. You know exactly what I'm trying to say."

"Well, I'm saying I don't buy it." He retorted sharply, taking her aback. "Kotetsu was not murdered by Dr. Page. He had an advanced heart disease. He was already going to kick the bucket, so why the hell would a doctor murder him?"

She shouted, "That's what I want to know! So I'm asking you to help me find out!"

Barnaby let out a noise between a hiss and a groan, covering his eyes with a hand under his glasses, "Keep it down. My neighbors are sleeping."

She flushed, plopping back down to the floor in embarrassment and hanging her head, "I'm sorry."

"This…" he sighed, "really wasn't how I wanted our reunion to go over."

"It's not like I was gunning for you to have this reaction." She muttered, "I just need you to help me figure out this case, for Dad's sake."

"Well, I'm sorry, Kaede, but I'm not going to waste whatever's left of my time chasing after something as convoluted as this. It's not going to bring him back."

"Says the man living in the past."

"I'm not living in the past," he rejoined, barely managing to soften his voice at the last second, "I'm just remembering him. That's all."

"That bottle of rosé is almost finished," she said, closing her eyes, "because you're simply having a nostalgic moment? Okay, sure."

He could only laugh at this, "I liked rosé wine long before your father came into the picture, so don't act like you know it all, little private eye."

"It's the exact same brand from the wedding. I remember. There was a bottle of it sitting in front of me the whole time." She then quipped, "And who are you calling little, Old Man? I'm thirty two!" Barnaby could only give a single chuckle at this, looking out the window at the single plane roaming over the mountains in the distance.

"Wow. Never thought I'd hear anyone call_ me_ Old Man." Had time really gone by that fast? He knew he would be turning fifty in a couple of years, so it wasn't as though the description was entirely inaccurate.

"Anyhow," Kaede got up and started back towards the door, "If you're not going to help me investigate Dr. Page, fine, great." Then igniting her blue glow, she murmured viciously, "That just means nobody can stop me from having my way with her if she really was the one responsible for Dad's death." Barnaby gasped to himself at the sound of those words, hearing a familiar bloody vendetta seared across Kaede's tongue. Shutting the door behind her, she waved, "Have a nice life, Barnaby."

He turned around and bolted after her.

"Kaede, wait!"


	3. Holding On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been procrastinating on homework with this fic and I have no one but myself to blame. Also, I keep adding in OCs. Forgive me ;w; And lastly, to save you the trouble of searching, haphephobia is the fear of being touched.
> 
> This chapter contains hints or mentions of sensitive subjects as tagged above, so please mind the tags!
> 
> -Reddie

"Watch the road!" Barnaby screamed, Kaede braking so hard that he could feel the seatbelt squeeze his chest as he was forced forward. Graying blonde hair cushioned the backlash as his head fell back against the seat. He watched with relief as a family of ducks proceeded across the road safely.

"Whew, that was a close one." Her heart dropped to her stomach when she heard the click of his seatbelt coming undone. She shot her sights towards the backseat, "What are you doing?"

"Get in the back and rest. I'm driving you home." Barnaby asserted, reaching for the wheel, his hand dangerously close to her shoulder. Panicking, she swatted his hand with the folder. "Ow!" he hissed, moving his hand back. Kaede exhaled in relief.

"No. I can drive back to my place just fine, thank you." She affirmed, releasing the brakes before he could try _it_ again. Rubbing his hand, he harrumphed, watching as the scenery began moving again.

"Well, if you're gonna be stubborn about it, at least get some coffee at the pit stop coming up on the right."

"Just twenty more minutes, and we'll be there."

"Kaede, I swear—"

"I can do it, geez!" She said, accelerating ever so slightly. "Just stop talking at me like I'm a child."

"I will if you quit acting like one."

"…tch." Grudgingly, she pulled over at the pit stop. Looking back at Barnaby, she put on a sassy smile and replied, "Are you a happy camper now?" With that, he shifted to open the car door.

"I'll get it for you."

"No, no, it's okay. Spare me at least this much independence, oh noble keeper." And before he could open his mouth to protest, the sound of the car door shutting behind her met his ears. Crossing his arms, Barnaby couldn't help but think such sarcasm just ran in her blood.

"Guess the apple didn't fall _that_ far from the tree, Kotetsu," he muttered, looking down at his wedding ring with a bittersweet smile.

* * *

"Stupid!" Kaede hissed, as she passed into the gas station shop, "He's lucky I even thought of him! It's not like I _need_ his help. I could solve this case on my own." She punched the numbers into the vending machine, "Just thought he'd care enough to want to find out too."

_"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm only coming along to make sure nothing serious happens. Kotetsu would come back from the dead to haunt me if I let anything bad happen to you."_

"Hmph. You'd like that, wouldn't you, Barnaby?" She muttered to herself, watching the dark liquid pour into the paper cup. "It's not like you don't miss him or anything."

Shortly after purchasing the coffee, Kaede pressed the cup to her lips simply to suck in some of the steam, leaving a little rosy stain against the white plastic of the lid. It brought a smile to her weary face, because for her nothing was better than the sweet scent of freshly brewed coffee. She barely cared for the taste, so long as it kept her awake. But the aroma was somehow both invigorating and soothing, akin to the smell of Yun's mint cologne.

_"Please promise me you'll never leave, Kaede. I'd rather die than live without you."_

She shook her head of the thought and looked towards the ground shamefully, wondering if Yun was okay.

Upon coming back to the car, she found Barnaby looking through her phone.

"Hey! Give it back!" She demanded, keeping hands firmly at her sides despite her desperate urge to grab the phone. Thankfully, her trust had not been misplaced, and Barnaby tossed it back onto her seat. She snatched it up, snarling, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Sorry. I was trying to nap and it kept buzzing, so I tried turning it off." He mused, reclining, "This Yun person seems awfully invested in you."

"Mm." She grunted, powering off her phone as she started up the car again. A few minutes passed down the road, and Barnaby couldn't help but ask.

"Not to pry, but who exactly was that? Your significant other?"

"Ha! Not anymore, he's not, thankfully." Kaede couldn't help the acidic way the words rolled off her tongue. At the stoplight, she took a swig from her now slightly cooler coffee, smacking her lips at the bitter taste. It smells so great black, but everything else from there is just downhill.

"Did something happen between you two?" He said simply, not understanding how she could talk about Yun so nastily when every text she'd received contained nothing but love and concern.

"What? Oh, no!" She replied, her voice saccharinely sarcastic, "Everything is perfectly fine! We had a healthy break-up! It's definitely normal for ex-boyfriends to text you constantly, after all!"

Barnaby looked to her with concern, "…what'd he do?"

"Oh, nothing really," she snorted, her tone still laden with sarcasm as she pushed the gas, "just, you know… threatened to kill himself if I ever broke up with him, that's all."

"Goodness," He blinked. "I'm almost sorry I asked."

"Yeah, you should be, snooping through my private life. Anything else you'd like to know while you're at it, Old Man?"

"Well… now that I think about it, I never really knew much about your love life. You kept it a secret from me and Kotetsu, didn't you?"

"Pff! You can't keep a secret of something that's practically nonexistent."

"Oh, so what about that little crush you had on me?" Barnaby teased.

"Shut up! I was nine, for fuck's sake, and you swooped in and _saved my life_, all cool and whatnot. I didn't know how else to feel, and it didn't count in my book in the long run anyway." She cleared her throat, downing a little more of her coffee. "Anyway, did you ever see me bring anyone home? Ever hear me mention a name in reply to Uncle Muramasa every time he asked if I was dating anybody?"

"No."

"Then there you have it. I have no love life, and therefore nothing to divulge."

"But then, Yun? What about him?"

"Ah, yes. The worst and only boyfriend I ever had! Wow, what a dreamboat!" She laughed, doling out the sass in full, before returning to a regular tone, "I met him in my last year of high school. We became good friends and on Valentine's Day, he gave me chocolates and asked me out. So I took him up on the offer because I thought he was pretty cute. And it was a bit nice, for a while at least." She takes in a deep breath and sighs, "Now, here's where I start to sound like a bitch: I could _not_ deal with his depression. He ended up overly-dependent on me, and it got to the point where I felt awful for hanging out with my friends in my free time, because he made me feel so obligated to be with him, to make sure he was okay. It was draining the life out of me, and I'm surprised I was able to graduate honestly, with him dragging me down like that. He constantly said he'd rather die than live without me, and one day I was just so fed up that I got mad at him, broke up, and then called the cops before I left his house because I didn't want him to die. Call me stupid too, because even now, I'd feel like it was my fault if he did end up killing himself. And so, dear Old Man, that is why I do not want to date anyone ever again. _Now_ are you sorry you asked?"

"…I'm sorry you had to go through all of that, Kaede." Barnaby shook his head, looking at her with pity. "Why didn't you say anything to me or Kotetsu at the time? Or even Muramasa at least?"

She shrugged, "I didn't want to worry anyone. I thought I could handle it by myself, so… I did."

"Ah," He looked back down at his wedding ring.

"_That was the whole point of keepin' it a secret, you dummy."_

Maybe she was a bit too much like Kotetsu, perhaps in the worst possible ways. "Don't… act too much like your dad, okay?"

"Mm."

She pulled up to the driveway of her flat at last.

* * *

"Anya!" Kaede called, her voice much higher and cutesier than before, "Anya, baby, come here!" She patted her knees and the cat came running towards her, mewling happily as she rubbed her head against Kaede's leg. Kaede dotingly ran a hand over Anya's head, pushing back the precious cat's ears.

"Ah, so you're a cat person?" Barnaby smiled.

"No. Didn't really have a preference, but I wanted a pet I could snuggle up with." Lifting her cat off the ground, she then plopped back onto her couch and slipped Anya onto her lap. The small cat curled up, purring as Kaede ran her fingers through the silky coat. "I like dogs too, but when it came down to it, I didn't have time to spare for walking one, so I adopted Anya." She babied up her voice again, looking to her cat, "And you're my precious little baby, aren't you?" Anya meowed at her, the sound coming out more like a chirp. That was when it occurred to her to ask, "Say, you aren't allergic, are you?"

"Not at all, so no need to worry."

"Heh, so what are you doing standing around? Sit down already, before your forty-something year old bones give out on you."

"Hmph, if you insist." The minute he joined her on the couch however, she scooted away from him uncomfortably. By this point, he'd noticed her habit of keeping distance, but he wasn't sure if it was just a coincidence. He stretched out a little, putting his hand within close proximity of her. The way she squirmed was obvious, and though she was already at the end of the couch, she was still trying to move further to the side away from her. In addition, her eyes flickered constantly back between him and Anya. She was paying attention to her space bubble far too closely for it to be a coincidence.

"Why do you do that?"

Kaede gave him a pointed look, "Do what?"

"Um… avoid contact with me like I'm diseased?"

"I haven't been doing that."

"Yes, you…" Barnaby began slowly, "wait. Is that why you hit me earlier when I was reaching for the steering wheel?" Kaede remained silent, torn between strictly keeping an eye on Barnaby and looking down at Anya in embarrassment. Why should she tell him? It's not like he'd understand. He continued, "Are you haphephobic?"

"So, what?"

He then pulled his limbs to himself, hunched forward with his elbows on his knees. "You weren't like this when you were younger…"

"The reason doesn't matter. But now that you know, I'd appreciate you not touch me, alright?"

"Of course. But…"

"But what?" Kaede glared, hostility practically pouring past those fiery red lips.

"Don't mistake me. I'll do everything I can to closely mind your personal space. I would never dream of intentionally making you panic…" He explained at last, "But what I'd like to know is if there was something you weren't telling me about Yun that made you this way now. If it's a sensitive subject, you don't have to explain it in detail. But I need to understand so that I know if there's anything I should avoid doing in the future to trigger you." He cast his eyes to the side for a moment, readjusting his glasses, "Believe me when I say I know your pain on at least some level, and I want to be as sympathetic as I can to your needs."

This wasn't any news to her, seeing as she already knew he had been coping with PTSD and anxiety brought on by his parents' murder for a long time now. Her dad had been there for Barnaby when the nightmares rolled in, and when agonizing flashbacks of the event plagued him. She knew about that, and that he'd been learning to cope much better with it on his own over the years. But she had no personal triggers to speak of, because nothing of that nature had happened to her. She was about ready to brush this old man off and leave him out in the living room.

But then she looked at those tired green eyes, aged by loss and burdened by pain… but also riddled with concern, worries directed at her. Why did he care so much? It's not like they really kept touch once she started college. He talked to him once or twice on the phone maybe through the first two years, but they never really paid that close attention to one another.

"_The thought of him living all alone again just… it breaks my heart, you know?" _

Kaede realized: she was all he had, the last of his family. And with Muramasa always so busy, Barnaby was the last of hers. That's the reason she built up the nerve to visit his apartment, even though it put her at risk for _it_. So then why should she shut him out on something as important as this? She already ended up telling him about Yun, so she might as well…

"It's… not like that." She breathed a sigh, "At all. If anything, one of Yun's most redeeming qualities was his sense of boundary."

"So it was someone else?"

"No. Like I said. It's not like that." She laughed sheepishly, "I mean, you didn't forget that I have a NEXT power, right?"

"I was aware of that. I saw you power up before you left my apartment."

"And what power was I using?"

"It was the Hundred Power, wasn't it? I chased you out the door, and it ran out five minutes down the stairs."

"But you never touched me, remember? I made sure of that. So guess whose Hundred Power I was using."

Barnaby connected two and two.

"No way," He blinked at her. "Wasn't Kotetsu out of power when he died?"

"Yeah, but apparently I still absorbed it."

He sat back, "How did that happen?"

"I don't know. But I found out on the night Dad died. I got mad at Uncle Muramasa for not taking enough time off work to see him in the hospital, and by mistake, I powered up," Kaede smiled a little to herself. "I guess that means his power had just been dormant the whole time. So he never really lost it after all. And now, it's mine, so long as I never touch another NEXT again."

"…but, now I don't get why avoiding contact with _me_ matters so much." Barnaby furrowed his brows. "I have the exact same power, so it's not like there'd be any real difference."

"But there would!" Kaede huffed. "Because if I touched you, it wouldn't be his anymore. And I'm not about to lose the very last thing he could ever give me."

Kaede looked to the clock on the wall longingly, wishing she could just spin back those hour hands to a few months ago, so that she wouldn't have forgotten her purse on the taxi, the purse that held her old wristwatch and the blue flower clip. Both were gifts from her dad. Now they were gone.

Barnaby jarred her from her musings with a yawn.

"Tired?"

"You guessed it."

Kaede stood up, leading Anya to leap off her lap and into Barnaby's.

"Well! Looks like you got a cuddle buddy for the night." She bent down towards an ottoman and opened it up, tossing a throw blanket and a couple of pillows Barnaby's way. "Sleep tight, Old Man."

Before he could say anything, she turned out the lights.

* * *

_Kotetsu and Barnaby sat hunched together at the end of the room, looking down from Barnaby's window at the view of the city. The sky was dyed in warm colors, with some hints of indigo and violet creeping along the fringes of the clouds. Night was drawing near, and it was only a matter of time before one of the two would have to stir out of his comfortable stupor to drag himself back home._

_But with the warmth of Kotetsu's arm around him, and the way the older man would sloppily but lovingly brush his lips against Barnaby's face, Barnaby didn't think he could really bear to have the moment end. It was nice to be tipsy with Kotetsu after a long day at work, to feel safe and at ease with someone he could trust in his most vulnerable state. And something about being with Kotetsu in quiet moments like this made him feel endless inside, even though he knew that, in reality, things come to an end. _

_For every night that ended, Barnaby always found himself wishing there was more time. He wished they could keep their powers up for maybe a minute or so longer in the very least. He wished he could've spent more time with his parents. And, looking down at his partner's wedding band, he wished Kotetsu could've spent more time with Tomoe. _

_A drunken question couldn't help but stir his tongue to life. _

"_What was it like to be married, Kotetsu?" Barnaby hiccupped, slumping onto Kotetsu's shoulder. "To Tomoe? What was the feeling like?" Rubbing at his beard thoughtfully, Kotetsu took another sip of the whiskey, before handing the flask back to Barnaby._

"_Wow, how can I even begin to describe this?" He chuckled, "I could probably answer this better sober, but let's see…" _

"_Well?"_

"_Hang on a second, Bunny, let me think." Kotetsu slapped a fist against his palm, "Oh! I've got it. With Tomoe, marriage was like… like… movement."_

"_Movement?"_

"_Yeah! Like, driving down a road." Kotetsu started making hand gestures, "She would trust me with the steering wheel, and I would trust her directions. Like, the whole way, I feel as though the point of it all was inspiring the other to keep going, because they were doing alright, and to make sure they were on the right track. So when things were going great, it felt like…movement. As if we were further down the road to getting somewhere, except… neither of us really wanted to leave the car until we absolutely had to. We just wanted to enjoy the journey for however long it lasted more than anything else."_

"_Ah. I see." Barnaby smiled._

_Kotetsu laughed, "I don't get why you of all people would bother to think about her though."_

"_Well, she's important to you, isn't she? And if she's important to you, then to me, just as well…"_

"_That means a lot," Kotetsu said, pressing another kiss to Barnaby's jaw this time. He sighed nostalgically, "Yeah. Sometimes I really miss her. But I'm happy I can look down at my ring, and think… damn, that was one hell of a great road trip."_

_At this, Barnaby couldn't help the words that tumbled out next. "I know I can't replace her. But… can't I still…? Agh." He scolded himself mentally for not knowing how to finish his own sentence. Kotetsu then shifted to remove his partner's glasses, to which Barnaby rejoined, "What was that for?"_

"_Heh. Sorry, Bunny." He teased, "Just wanted to make sure you weren't crying." _

"_Hmph. Come on, Old Man, I'm not a kid."_

"_I know." Kotetsu laughed, sliding his arm around Barnaby's waist, pulling him closer. He looked forward, back out the window, "And, no, you really can't replace her. But I don't want you to feel for even one second like I don't love you, Barnaby. You're more than enough." He tried not choking up himself, suddenly burdened by the thought of losing Bunny too, "You make me real happy to be here right now, you know?"_

"_Kotetsu…"_

_Neither of them really knew who moved first, but their lips met at last, slow-moving and still tinged with the taste of whiskey. Barnaby could feel his heart swelling with that sweet, endless sentiment, the kind he'd never grow tired of, and really, if lungs would permit him, he just wanted to stay like this with Kotetsu for at least a hundred more years._

_As, they parted to breathe, Kotetsu pressed his forehead to Barnaby's and murmured, "Say. Do you want to know what marriage feels like, Bunny?" Barnaby couldn't help the flush that spread across his face, struck speechless. Was Kotetsu really asking him this right now? The older man only chuckled, placing a gentle hand on Barnaby's face, "Because…if I had to get married again, it wouldn't be half bad to be married to you." The younger man remained silent, unable to push any form of speech past his lips._

_But where words failed Barnaby, the shimmer in his green eyes said more to Kotetsu than lips ever could._

And just as Kotetsu moved to kiss him again, Barnaby woke up.

Anya sat curled atop his chest, nestled comfortably there. Not wanting to wake the poor sleepy creature up, Barnaby allowed himself to remain trapped under her barely substantial weight. He stared up at the ceiling, remembering that night, the memory that played through his head as he dreamed. That was the only time they'd ever talked about marriage before Kotetsu proposed.

Careful not to wake Anya, Barnaby lifted his hand to mouth, smiling as he kissed his ring finger.

Kaede pretended not to see as she shuffled groggily towards the bathroom.


	4. Not Knowing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pardon me for being self-indulgent trash. Because, you know, who doesn't love pansexual!Ryan :P
> 
> -Reddie

"Pancakes?"

"Pancakes," Kaede replied simply, squirting batter from a bottle onto her griddle. "I can also make great crepes and okonomiyaki." She bragged, only leading Barnaby to roll his eyes.

"So," He began, "you're basically saying you only know how to make pancakes?"

"I just said I know how to make crepes and okonomiyaki too."

"Those are just variations of the same thing."

She scoffed, "If you don't want it, then go out and get your own breakfast. Sorry I bothered to try and make something nice for you."

"No, no. I really appreciate it. I just think you should learn to cook other things too, for the sake of your health. I could show you how."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine. Those three are easy to make, and I don't have a lot of time to learn new recipes. I mean, I tried making Dad's fried rice, but it kept spilling everywhere!" Barnaby couldn't help but snort out a chuckle at this, putting a hand over his mouth. "What's so funny?"

"Sorry, that's exactly what happened to me too first time I tried making it."

"What? Really?" Kaede stared back at him in disbelief. "You actually messed up at something like that?"

"Well, yeah. I'm only human, Kaede. Did you think I was incapable of screwing up or something?"

"But… you made everything look so easy!" She said abashedly, flipping over her pancake. "I remember in high school, when you cooked dinner, you could cut things up so fast, and you knew exactly how to sear or bake or fry it so it got to just the right consistency. And it wasn't just cooking either." She turned around at looked at him, "Whenever I had a question for homework in any subject, you knew the answer. And you could mend and sew things together like nothing happened, like the time my cousin accidentally tore the curtains. And when we had computer viruses, it literally took you like ten minutes to get rid of them. And when I was busy asking Dad for advice involving interviews and college essays and what to wear, you would chime in from the other side of the room and your idea… wouldn't sound half bad. I ended up taking a lot of your advice to heart, because I figured you knew exactly what you were talking about." Kaede furrowed her brows, "So how the hell does a guy like you screw up at fried rice?"

He shrugged, "It was hard to make it the same way your dad did. I did get the hang of it eventually though. It just took some practice."

"Mm." Kaede hummed apathetically, flopping the pancake onto a plate before setting it down in front of Barnaby with a fork. She couldn't help but smirk at the look on his face when he saw it was shaped like a rabbit. "Eat up, Old Man. For the sake of your health, you know?"

Exhaling the lightest breath of chuckle, Barnaby took up the fork. In a few minutes, she sat across from him, with a pancake of her own shaped like a cat.

* * *

After a bit of back and forth, it was decided that Barnaby would be joining her on the way to work. It was only when she reached her office that she realized Anya had snuck into her bag again.

The cat beamed at her, mewling the second she unzipped her bag.

"Not again!" Kaede gave a start, as the cat jumped out, "Anya! Darling baby, no!" Barnaby couldn't help but snicker as the cat rubbed a cheek against her leg. The investigator glared at him, causing him to put up his hands and stifle the last of his laughter.

"That cat sure does love you." He couldn't help but quip. At the sound of his voice, Anya's ears perked up, and she turned tail towards him, standing on hind legs as she pawed at Barnaby.

"Yeah, well Anya loves you too, Old Man." She opened up her computer and scooped a couple of folders from her bag, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do."

Barnaby bided his time at the side with Anya as Kaede flitted between public databases and the folders in front of her. He didn't expect her research to take so long, but then an hour passed, and then another, and then a couple more, until the sun was setting and Anya lay curled in a ball at his feet. He sent a weary smile Kaede's way when she wasn't looking, admirable of her meticulous work. He could definitely admire in his own way that she didn't jump right into things unlike a certain someone he knew, but as her fingers flew at the keys, he could see where the passion of the tiger had rubbed off on her.

She only smirked at him, because she could practically feel his green eyes boring into her.

"You regret coming with me now, don't you?"

"Not at all," He replied, crossing his legs. "What makes you say that?"

"You sound bored."

"Funny, I don't recall having made a single noise all afternoon."

"And that, Old Man, is the sound of boredom," She turned off her monitor. "Anyhow, I'm done with research for the day. I… found some interesting things, to say the least."

"Oh?" Kaede shifted, holding up a sheet from a separate case file.

"It seems I have received three related cases. Now, as you are not aware, I mostly take on cases that involve recovering lost information. It's something I'm good at, and I frankly wouldn't have bothered with Sharon Shale's case had it not been for Dr. Page's name coming up. Murder cases, though not impossible for me, are out of my league."

"We don't know that it's a murder though." Barnaby reminded, causing her to scrunch her face, as if pushing back words already formed in her throat.

"Anyhow…" She pointed to the middle of the sheet, "here is a case request I received from Sternbild United Hospital. They have a few holes in their records that they'd like me to fill in. They're missing background information for nine doctors who'd either quit or transferred over the past few months to work elsewhere, one of them being Dr. Page." Switching gears, she put the sheet back in its proper folder and pulled a new one from another file. "And here is a case request I received directly from the Century Center for Health to investigate the records of Dr. Page. They're missing medical information regarding a few patients who had been under her care during her time working there. Sharon was included among them."

"So, really," He smiled triumphantly, crossing his arms, "this is nothing but a large information mishap."

"But this is all very strange, isn't it, Barnaby?" Kaede insisted, waving her papers, "That Dr. Page's name showed up in all three of these separate cases. That one of the case requests involving her just so happened to be from the hospital where Dad was treated." Before Barnaby could open his mouth to respond, she glared at him pointedly, saying, "Now, I'm not going to jump to conclusions just from these leads, but you can't keep denying that there's something wrong here. There are too many holes in Dr. Page's information to just be coincidence. My gut tells me so." She slapped the folders back onto her desk. "I _have_ to get her."

"Alright then." He crossed his legs, reclining, "Say Dr. Page had killed some patients. Say Kotetsu was among them. What would you do then, if that was really the case? Arrest her? Or kill her on the spot?"

"Ohhh. Is _that_ what you think I am, Barnaby?" Kaede gave off a harsh laugh, "Listen, I am _nothing_ like you used to be. I'll have you know that I don't see myself as someone who has the right to end another person's life. In fact, I don't think anyone has that right," She crossed her arms. "I'm a woman of _justice_. And I'm going to make sure the guilty get exactly what they deserve."

"So then what do you think Dr. Page deserves?"

Kaede harrumphed, "Right now, due process. Because she hasn't been proven guilty of anything. Yet." She then took up her jacket and tugged on the sleeves, "Wake Anya up and come on. We're leaving now."

* * *

"_I __**need**__ to know that no one had taken my baby from me."_

Thinking back on it now as she glided down the highway back to Sternbild, she could understand Edmond's sentiment. It was the kind of "what if" that kept her up at night, made it hard to fall asleep when the only thought that filled her mind was finding out. What if her dad had been taken from her before his time? What if he had at least a week left before his heart finally got to him, before someone else could stop it?

And so what if Dr. Page had murdered her father?

It only brought more questions to mind, burning her with need for an answer, any answer. "How" was a question that made her stomach turn, and she tried to ward her mind away from the awful thought of her father poisoned by overdose, or of him suffocating with nobody around to save him. And "why" was even worse, because it made her blood boil to think that maybe there was no answer to that question. It wasn't as though her father had given anyone reason to go after his life. He was a hero. He did what he could to bring good to the world. So why would anyone want to kill him?

Was Dr. Page sociopathic? Did she get a kick out of having that sort of power over the ill? Kaede wouldn't have been so surprised if that really were the case. It was an ugly world. There were people like that out there, still bringing about havoc, bringing about pain…

Barnaby answered his phone, stealing Kaede away from her head for a second, "Hello?"

"Hey, Junior! It's been a while."

"Ryan!" His eyes went wide, "How have you been?"

"Ah, great, great," Ryan laughed heartily, reclining on his couch with knees far apart. "I'm kicking it back at my place, nice and easy. Having a _very_ good time right now." A giggle sounded in the background, confusing Barnaby.

"Oh, do you have someone over?"

"Why, yes I do!" His cup clinked with that of the beauty across from him, before he took a sip of hard lemonade cocktail. He gave an exhale of refreshment, practically singing, "Ah! Guess who has a _smoking hot_ date with him right now~?"

"Heh. So you're calling to brag then?" Barnaby leaned back, "Alright, what's her name? What's she like?" Ryan practically roared with laughter.

"You don't need me to tell you stuff you already know…"

"Ahhhh," Barnaby chuckled. "So someone from our old workplace? Agnes then?"

"Geeeeeeeeeeeez, Handsome, you sure are dense," Nathan chimed in, sounding a little tipsy. "Come on, _Agnes_? Really? After he dropped that lovely little hint of me being '_smoking hot'_?"

"_Oh_, my bad!" Barnaby laughed, "I figured you were more interested in the men outside of work, Nathan, so this comes as a bit of a surprise."

"Mhm. Anyhow—ah!" Their date poked a lizard kiss on their shoulder, "Ryan, stop, that tickles~!"

Ryan whispered seductively against their tattoo, "I'm just digging your sweet ink, cutie, that's all~"

"Oooh, goodness, you _spoil_ me. Let me talk a moment, okay, honey? It's _important,_" The smile on Barnaby's face fell when he heard this.

"What is?"

"Well. I'm not sure how to say this over the phone… but if you could find a time to drop by my place tomorrow evening or whatever time you have this week, I have something to discuss with you regarding _Hero TV_. It's confidential information, so I can't quite reveal much here."

"Alright then." Barnaby looked ahead, watching as Kaede shifted to the exit off the freeway, "I'm a little occupied myself at the moment, so I'll call you back and let you know when I have time."

"Super!" Nathan beamed, "Okay, handing it back over to Mr. Iguana over here."

"Welp! What can I say, Junior? Nathan already wrapped it up pretty well, so let's just leave off on that note. Have a nice night, whatever you're doing right now!"

"Thanks. You too."

"Oho, you can be sure of that!" Ryan said, slinging an arm around his date. Barnaby could only hear Nathan give some sort of elated squeak on the other line before hanging up.

"You know, you could easily open up your plans if you want." Kaede chimed in, "You don't have to follow me around for this. Hell, I'll drive you to Nathan's place tomorrow if you want."

"It's fine. I'm still going with you."

"Look," She pulled over to the side. "I already said I wasn't going to do anything to Dr. Page. I'd just make sure she'd get what she deserves is all."

"Now, see, that last part you added in there is exactly the reason I worry about you. Aren't suspects supposed to be innocent until proven guilty? We don't even know for sure if she'd actually done anything wrong, and yet you talk about her as if she'd definitely committed the crime."

"I just need to find out!" Kaede snapped, smacking her hand against the top of the steering wheel. "You know, I'd expect you of all people to be a bit more sympathetic. You already must know what it feels like, to be kept awake at night because your head keeps creating questions that you can't answer. It's… it's like that one question on a multiple choice that you fill in anyhow, for the sake of your sanity, because you'd rather have an answer that only might be right rather than no answer at all. I really want to believe for certain that no one took my dad from me. But I need to know for sure first." Silence passed between them for a still moment, before Kaede reignited the car and got back on the road.

"…say, where were we even headed?"

"We were going to Sternbild United Hospital first, but it's too late now. If I remember correctly, visiting hours should be over by now. So I guess I'll drive you back to your place? Or Nathan's right now?"

"Nathan's not home tonight, so I can't even if I wanted to."

"Alright then, your place it is."

Upon reaching his apartment, he invited her to stay the night, saying she could have his bed while he slept in the chair. She adamantly refused and drove back to Century City, dropping onto her couch in exhaustion the minute she arrived home. Anya crawled atop her, licking her forehead just as she began dozing off.


	5. A Capable Adult

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter might get a little... weird for some of you, but I'm just trying to keep it real here. Also, any trans readers following this might want to proceed with caution because it may or may not trigger some dysphoria (aka mind the menstruation tag). And lastly, I altered Kaede's age from the second chapter, for anyone who first started reading from an earlier point: she's 32 now, not 27. I did it to keep consistency with the actual age gap between Barnaby and Kaede.
> 
> But yeah, here ya go! Enjoy :P
> 
> -Reddie

Kaede awoke with a start to the jarring noise of her phone buzzing against a hard surface. With the loudest groan of frustration, she sat up and grabbed it to answer. Anya yowled, jumping out onto the floor as she rose.

"Hello?" She said, trying to hide the sleep that slurred her greeting ever so slightly.

"Hey, it's Barnaby. I'm in front of your flat, so come right on outside when you're ready to go to the hospital."

She grumbled, "I can drive myself."

"You can also save fuel if you accept my ride. Or did I come all the way from Sternbild for nothing?"

Her first thought was to say, _"Yes, you did. Go home already and leave me alone if you're just going to stand there and keep defending someone who could've easily killed Dad."_And she really meant that. She didn't want to have that sort of talk polluting her morale every step of the way. She wasn't about to give up on this, not when there were still so many questions left to be answered.

But she couldn't quite find the will to say it. Annoying as he was, she couldn't hate the intentions behind his staying at her side for the case. He was only looking out for her. It might've been a bit too late for him to be a parent to her, but Barnaby was family, and he was doing the best he could to support her. She'd long been forgiving her dad for making promises he couldn't keep, all because she knew he was trying his best. So how could she find the heart to push Barnaby away for caring?

"Fiiiiiiine," She whined, tugging off yesterday's clothes on her way back to her closet. "I'll be out in a moment."

* * *

Upon walking into the hospital lobby, Barnaby fidgeted, eyes flickering between his stepdaughter and the doctors passing by. Noticing his tense behavior, she couldn't help but glare from the corner of her eye at him. It wasn't as if she'd inherited his anxiety. She could hold a civil conversation with Dr. Page if she had to. Sure, she was angry, but she wasn't reckless. Recklessness would've been an awful trait to carry into her work, considering all the legal intricacies surrounding her duties. She wasn't stupid enough to land herself in jail over some petty, passing feelings. At least… she hoped these feelings would pass after today, after she could find out whether or not her dad was murdered.

Kaede took a deep breath, hoping really deep down inside that Barnaby was right when he said this was all a big informational mishap.

"Good afternoon," Kaede bowed to the man at the front desk. She held up the hospital's case file, "I am private investigator Kaede Kaburagi. I'm here for your hospital's case request to recover missing background information on nine of your doctors."

"Ah, Miss Kaburagi, thank you for taking on our case."

She gave a cheesy grin, putting a thumb up, "Not a problem. Now, to begin, I'd like to ask you how you came to realize the information had gone missing? What happened to the files?"

"Well, just last month, we began backing the archived digital files of our staff to hardcopy, and there were no problems moving that information over for employees who were still working here. But then we noticed there were elements missing on file for those who were no longer on staff. We've only had nine doctors quit, retire, or fired over the past few months recently, and some of them are missing more information than others. In the time since we sent you that case request, we managed to get on top of things for seven of those doctors, so you have your work cut out for you. In particular, we're having trouble recovering files for past work experience with Dr. Susan Hitch and Dr. Layla C. Page. We've tried calling, emailing, and sending letters even, but we've still been having trouble getting ahold of either of them. Dr. Hitch we know is retired, but we aren't certain of where Dr. Page is now."

"I see. Well, since that's the case, could you look them up on your computer? I'd like to see what information you currently do have on file for them."

"But of course. Give me a moment." After opening up a couple of tabs, he motioned for Kaede to come behind the front desk so she could see the screen for herself. Barnaby began to follow her, but then hesitated when Kaede gave him a look, reminding him of the legal intricacies surrounding the situation by mouthing the word "privacy". He backed off, somewhat guiltily, digging his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

Barnaby watched Kaede's unshifting expression as the front desk man's ramblings of pictures and credentials began to blur out into the background. And that was the moment he'd become aware of just how much she'd grown, how much she'd changed over the years.

She was nine when they first met, smiling and ever cheerful. That was the default image of her stuck to his head, only to be broken in this very moment by the stern and determined look fixed in her jaw and brows. When he made those promises to Kotetsu to take care of her, his mind was geared towards protecting a child who wasn't quite ready to face the world all by herself. But she was a capable adult now, and she'd shown him time after time over just these past few days that she could handle everything on her own. She didn't need him to help her with anything.

He wasn't needed by her, and that was the thought that scared him the most.

If he was nothing more than an accessory to her life, just helicoptering unnecessarily at her side… then what did he have left to live for? He looked back down at the time on his phone, numbers that indicated passing hours. He had so many hours left, years upon decades worth of them, and now… nothing to use them for, no one left to dedicate them to.

"Alright, thank you for your time, Miss Kaburagi. Please keep us updated on your findings."

"I most certainly will," She smiled tiredly, pleasant sincerity surfacing from beneath the formality. It filled Barnaby with guilt now, just standing there in front of a smile that showed just how dedicated she was to this job. It was clear to him now that she wasn't going to throw this all away over any hard feelings she held for a suspect. She had everything under control, and at this point, his presence was a signifier of his inability to trust her, a sign in her eyes that he only viewed her like a bomb ready to go off. He himself hated being perceived as such, so what right did he have to dehumanize her like that? He'd only ever been a passive participant in her childhood, and now he had the nerve to baby a grown woman like this?

What an awful person he was. Why didn't he just leave her alone already?

"Hey, Barnaby, let's go." Kaede motioned to him, as she stuffed some printouts into her case file folder, "We're done here for the day."

Aimlessly, he placed one foot in front of the other, sights cast to the ground.

* * *

"Kaede. I'm sorry," Barnaby hung his head, as they paused at the stoplight. He expected her to make that empty "mm" sound she usually did when she didn't have anything to respond with.

But instead, she went, "For what?"

"Sorry for bothering you today. I get I've been sticking around for a reason disrespectful to you, and I'm just…" he closed his eyes, then adding softly, "I want you to know that I trust you, and that I do think you're a responsible adult. So please don't feel a need to keep proving yourself throughout this case." Kaede couldn't believe her ears, as she stared ahead trying to process what Barnaby had just said to her. He sighed, "Anyhow, I won't be in your way anymore."

Suddenly, the thought of him leaving her alone for this case wasn't such a great relief anymore.

"Huh?" Kaede uttered, almost to an exaggerated degree, "Who the hell said you were in my way, Old Man? Didn't I ask for your help in this investigation in the first place anyhow?"

"But… I haven't been doing anything of much use, so I suppose it'd be best for me to just—"

"Just what? Leave before we really even get into this case? Fat chance!" She looked away from the window to him, only to watch his shoulders slump doubtfully. "Look, don't force yourself to stay by my side for this. I _can_ take care of this case, you know. It's my job, so no need to worry about me. In fact, I don't want you by my side if you're just going to rag on me about Dr. Page. But!" Barnaby couldn't help but perk up a bit at that last exclaimed syllable, heart filling with some fraction of hope, "If you really do want to be of some help, then I'd really appreciate it if you continued, you know… saving me money on fuel like this."

"So… you want me to be your chauffeur for this investigation?"

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds kind of mean…" Kaede mumbled, "But, it's not like I can afford to keep driving back and forth all the way between Century City and Sternbild. The drive from here to Oriental Town is already enough of a hassle."

"Wouldn't it just be easier for you to stay at my place for the duration of this investigation then?" Barnaby said, biting his tongue and wishing he could take back those words. Dammit, was that being too pushy again? She merely dismissed the idea.

"I can't, remember? This case has stuff going on in Century City too. Besides, I work best moving back and forth. The travel time gives me the space to think the case through. So, what do you say?"

He couldn't help but smile a little, "Alright then."

* * *

They'd arrived at the Century Center for Health, having the same discussion as before: how they first noticed there was information missing, what had likely happened to the files, and what they already had on file. All the information this hospital had on Dr. Page was nothing Kaede hadn't already seen on her public database files. Upon inquiring about Dr. Page's work hours, Kaede was given a printout. She accepted it with delight, welling up with eagerness as she drew that much closer to finding out the truth.

But then in an instant, she was only let down to find out that Dr. Page wouldn't be returning to work until the next week.

She was professional about the news of delay, even though this case was personal to her. Her shoulders sagged ever so slightly as she stepped out of the hospital, but Barnaby could see that she was holding it together alright. Her look of disappointment was almost too subtle for anyone else to notice. A knot turned in Barnaby's gut at this. If she could hide her emotions so well, how was he supposed to know if something was wrong with her? He exhaled, trying to remember his boundaries again. She was an adult, and she didn't need him to worry about her over something this small.

Suddenly, a look of panic crossed over her face as she drew in a gasp, giving Barnaby good reason to worry, especially when she moved a hand over her side.

Before he could even ask if she was alright, Kaede looked back at him, "Could you take me home _right now_ please?"

He nodded, "Sure thing."

* * *

The whole way, he couldn't help but wonder what was wrong, but she clammed up completely about it, biting back any sound of pain the whole ride through. He was tempted to ask, but she simply waved a hand every time he looked back at her.

"I'm absolutely fine, don't worry," she finally said as they reached her flat.

From the front door, she ran to the bathroom, leaving Barnaby to sit there on the couch, stewing in concern. Anya mewed from the other side of the room, little white paws stepping out from the kitchen. She stood there, staring blankly at Barnaby, before drawing towards him. Barnaby accepted the cat's company, running a hand over her silky coat as he listened to the muffled sounds of a sink running and a faint hiss of "_today of all days!_" from Kaede.

"What's going on?" Barnaby muttered to himself, getting up. He called, "Kaede, you need any help?"

"It's fine, Barnaby! I can handle this myself!" She rejoined from the bathroom, sounding irritated. Minding himself, he managed to sit back down, only to find another issue of concern at hand…

"Um, Kaede?"

"Yes?" She groaned.

"Are you done yet?" He crossed his legs uncomfortably, "I might need to use the bathroom too."

She mumbled, not that he could hear, "You've _got_ to be kidding me…" Kaede raised her voice, scrubbing the item she had under the sink harshly, "Give me a second and hold it, Old Man!"

"Alright…" he gave a shaky laugh. Thankfully, it wasn't long before she was finally out again, with her jacket off and a baggy pair of black sweats on. Considerately, he gave her a moment to get to an open space far away from him before he rushed towards the bathroom.

Only as he washed his hands did he notice vague blood stains in the wet cloth hanging in the shower. Barnaby could only blink when he realized what that meant.

"Oh."

* * *

Kaede worked away at her home office laptop for hours, searching through hospital webpages and public databases once again. She came across Dr. Page's landline number in a Century City phonebook and even attempted to call it, but, just as the person at Sternbild United said, there was no getting in touch with her.

Likely, the reason Dr. Page hadn't been picking up was because she didn't recognize the number. It was possible she'd taken Sternbild United off her list once she'd quit working for them, and that was probably why they couldn't get in touch with her. To add to that, Dr. Page was on vacation for the week, so there was no use calling an empty house at this time. There really wasn't a way to move forward in this case right now, at least on Dr. Page's account.

The investigator then shifted gears, focusing on finding Dr. Hitch. After digging through countless pictures of various women of the same name on a common social media site, she found a profile picture that matched the one in the printout from Sternbild United. An umber-skinned old woman dotted with moles graced the small square onscreen with a vibrant smile. Still, to be on the safe side, Kaede clicked on the about.

_Age: 90_

_ Birthday: April 4_

_Hometown: Sternbild, SB_

_Worked at: Sternbild United Hospital_

_Relationship status: Married to_ Bernice Hitch-Verano

Kaede smiled faintly. That was her alright.

At about that time, Barnaby closed his phone and tucked it away in his pocket before announcing himself as he left.

"I'm heading out for a few hours to go meet with Nathan. Do you need me to pick up anything for you on the way back?"

With the ridiculous cramp in her abdomen edging on at that instant, she was very tempted to say "tampons" just in case she'd run out (she would've checked the cabinet under the sink if she'd only had the time!), but instead she brushed his offer aside. She had a ton of pads for the time being. And she could buy some tampons herself when she found time, couldn't she? There was no need to bother him with that!

"No, I'm good."

"Alright then." He trailed away, sounding like he didn't believe her. She made nothing of it, continuing on with Dr. Hitch's profile, searching for a way to contact the retiree. And with a fleeting glance backward, Barnaby closed the front door behind him.

* * *

Barnaby blinked when he saw the person to answer his knock on the door.

"Pao-Lin? What are you doing here?" He stared back at her, finding it hard to believe the teenager he'd once worked with was now a middle-aged adult herself. She merely put a finger to her lips and motioned for him to come in. With a nod, he complied, Nathan waiting in a seat across the living room with a phone pressed to their shoulder. Ryan lay there, snoring loudly with his legs draped over one arm of the loveseat under him. Carefully, Pao-Lin closed the door behind them both.

"Alright, we're clear to talk now," She said at last. "Surprised to see you here, Barnaby."

"I could say the same thing to you, but I'm assuming you're here for the same reason I am. What did Nathan say?"

"Nothing yet. I'm waiting for them to get off the phone first."

"I see," Nathan nodded with a smile, voice hushed. "Fantastic. Okay then. Have a good evening. Thank you!" At last, the fire-lover stood up and clapped delightedly, springing up towards Barnaby and Pao-Lin to wrap them both in an embrace. "Oh my goodness, it is _such_ a pleasure to see you two after so long! How have you both been? What have you been doing?"

"I've been great!" Pao-Lin chirped. "Been keeping myself busy with kung fu classes in the park every Sunday afternoon. Can't complain when my students love me, you know?" Nathan then turned eyes to Barnaby, who merely gave a half-smile as his reply.

"Come on, been up to anything fun lately, Handsome?"

What had Barnaby been doing to bide the time since Kotetsu died? It wasn't as if time stopped for him the sunny day of that funeral. Life went on. He bought a latte on the way home. He went window shopping. Instead of going back to Oriental Town, he went back to his old apartment in Sternbild (good thing he kept it as a vacation home instead of selling it). He did some cleaning, then sat down and took his treasured childhood toy apart, before putting it perfectly back together. He spent hours watching old videos on his computer, then fell asleep watching planes pass by outside his window at night. And for the rest of the year, he spent his time doing mundane everyday things like that. He couldn't work up the motivation to do much anything else, no volunteering to talk at schools or showing up to read stories at the orphanage (he still sent toys though). He just sat around at home, and then left for some fresh air when remembering brought on heartbreak. None of that quite fit the description of "anything fun", at least in his humble opinion.

"I've been decent. Nothing out of the ordinary," Barnaby shrugged, trying to play it off with a cool smile. It then occurred to him that he never told any of the former Heroes that Kotetsu had passed away last year, so before they could ask about him, he switched the subject, "So, what was it you wanted us to know about _Hero TV_?"

"Ah, yes. Well, you see, I was on the phone with one of my former sponsors, and it seems that a talk show would like to have all of us together for a group interview, a reunion if you will for one last time. They're curious as to what we've been up to since the show went off the air, and I've contacted close to everyone. Antonio, Karina, Keith, and that yummy hunk snoozing over there are all onboard with it, and we've been trying to work out a time that fits all our current schedules. I also got ahold of Agnes, and she's contacted the second league as well. I have no clue how to get in contact with Ivan, because it seems as though he's changed all his old contact information. And as for Kotetsu…" Nathan sent a vibrant smile Barnaby's way, "I'm sure his partner can pass along a message for little old me." Barnaby swallowed, uncertain of how to respond. Of all the Heroes, only he and Antonio had known about Kotetsu's passing. His heart dropped inside his chest like a stone at the thought of breaking the bad news to them. It was inevitable at this point… but in the very least, he wanted to buy a few more minutes of time, just to work up the nerve to say it.

"Oh! I've been in touch with Ivan," Pao-Lin replied giddily, "so I can give you his number if you want so you can find a time to talk about it. Or I could meet up with him and pass the message along."

"Either would be _lovely_, sweetheart! Whatever works with your schedule!" Nathan cooed, ruffling her hair. She didn't seem to mind it, and she took her moment to laugh like a kid again. For some reason, Kaede came to mind, and a pang of emptiness washed over Barnaby at that thought. "So! I take it you're both onboard?"

Pao-Lin chimed in, "You bet!"

"I can't," Barnaby uttered, causing them both to gasp and look at him concern. He explained, sensitive to the legal issue of confidentiality, "I'm… currently involved in other private business affairs for the time being, and it seems like they may take some time. So if at all possible, I'd like to put these plans on hold. But if the show must go on regardless, you can count me out. And… as for Kotetsu…" He looked down at his left hand, and then curled it into a fist, hiding the circular remnant of days long gone, "I'm sorry to say that… he couldn't attend this event even if he wanted to."

"What?" Nathan put a hand over their mouth, "Oh my, did something happen to him?"

"Yeah, he…" He choked up, barely managing to force the words out, "passed away a year ago… due to heart failure. I-I'm sorry, I didn't… tell either of you—any of you… about it…"

When he felt Nathan's arms around him, followed by Pao-Lin's arms, he then realized he was crying.

"Aw, honey," Nathan crooned, "I'm sorry we weren't there to support you during such a difficult time."

Pao-Lin added softly, "Yeah… if you ever need someone to talk to, we're here for you, alright?"

Barnaby couldn't help but feel embarrassed and ashamed, to fall apart like this when he needed to hold it together… for Kaede's sake, even though… she could take care of herself just fine. That thought only pushed his shame further. How could he still cling to that, the idea of being able to save someone who didn't need saving? Looking at the teardrops that had fallen—and continued to fall—against the lens of his glasses, he could only laugh on the inside for thinking himself capable of being her hero, let alone her parent, when he couldn't even maintain his composure in a situation like this. How could such a withered, fragile old man support anyone else when he himself needed others to hold him up first?

Yes… first and foremost, he needed support of his own.

He returned his friends' embrace.

* * *

The annoying thing about periods was that lying down just didn't feel right, no matter the position, whether lying on the side, the back, or belly. Usually, Kaede grumbled to herself over the fact because it made it hard for her to sleep, but tonight her head was so wired with zeal that she didn't even feel like lying still. Right on the glowing screen in front of her, there was a clear selfie of Dr. Susan Hitch, in front of her wife's bakery just a week ago. The caption was everything Kaede could've wanted and more.

"_Celebrating our 55__th__ anniversary at the Summertime Bakery! No one bakes a better cake than my sweetheart!" _

Kaede knew that bakery. She passed it by many, many times on the way to Sternbild United when visiting her dad. Even better, thanks to curious potential customers online, there was contact information in the comments below! With that, she sent an email in advance to inform the pair of her visit. And by luck, Dr. Hitch happened to still be up in time to reply that she was looking forward to meeting her and sorting everything out. It gave Kaede an accomplished feeling, and she couldn't do anything except sit there and smile at the screen. Maybe she'd buy a few pastries from them too, given her menstrual cravings.

She checked the time, immediately getting up so that she could change out her pad. But then as she turned towards the bathroom, there was a knock at the door.

Kaede sighed, muttering to herself, "You have pretty bad timing, Old Man." She pivoted back and rushed up to the door, surprised instantly by the bag in his hand. He held it up a safe distance from her, offering it forward.

Making a face, she said, "I told you I was fine."

"I'm pretty sure you still need these though." Barnaby pulled the box of tampons out of the bag. Kaede stared in disbelief.

"How did you know?"

"I saw your underwear hanging in the shower. It wasn't quite washed through all the way."

She hissed under her breath, "Dammit." He cleared his throat, shaking the bag a little to remind her it was there.

"You know, it's pretty unreasonable how expensive this stuff is, considering these are a necessity," Barnaby adjusted his glasses, "So tell me if you need me to buy some. I have the money to spare, and it's no trouble. I got you pads and tampons, because I wasn't sure which you preferred."

"Thank you." She said, taking both from him reluctantly, "But you didn't need to do that. I mean, I'm thirty two, Barnaby. I've been dealing with this since I was ten." She drew backwards, giving him enough space to step inside the house, "I can take care of myself."

"I never said you couldn't," He replied, stepping past her. Pausing, he hung his head at the thought of what it must've been like to have her first period without her mom around. Barnaby continued, "Look, I know you and I have lived very different lives, but I get how it must've felt to grow up the way you did. I lost my parents at the same age that you lost your mom. So I get what it's like. You constantly feel alone, and then you get used to working that way, hiding your weaknesses and shutting other people out so that they don't have reason to get in your way. But I want you to know that… it's okay to accept some support every now and then. It doesn't make you weak or incompetent or whatever other unpleasant trait you might have in mind. It just… makes you human."

Kaede stood there in silence for a brief moment, before giving a slight laugh, "Yeah, yeah. Tell me something I don't know, Old Man." She merely waved, recalling the countless interviews she'd read and listened to back when she was obsessed with him as a kid. Looking back on it now, it was a little funny, really. He'd been her support before they ever formally met.

For every promise her dad had broken, she turned to magazines with Barnaby emblazoned across the pages to soothe her upset. She found solace in his quoted words, between lines of sentiments she could deeply relate to. Kaede used to think she was exaggerating for thinking she could see herself in him, but, now that she'd heard this directly from the old man, she was reminded exactly of just how accurate that thought was.

And with that realization, she came to the decision that, from now on, she'd have to look after him too. With everything they shared in common, it was only right for them to stick together. Even if they didn't necessarily need one another… it was nice to have someone who understood.

She gave a yawn, rushing back to the bathroom, "Well, you know the blankets are in the ottoman, so I'll leave you to it. Good night, Barnaby."

"Good night, Kaede."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for clarification, I based her menstrual cycle off of mine, so she didn't start bleeding the second she asked Barnaby to drive her home. Her flow was preceded by strong cramps first, and it was only around the time they got back to her place that she started bleeding. I honestly never expected to use someone's period as a plot point, but I thought it worked out pretty alright. Anyway, thanks for reading, and have a nice weekend. Next chapter will be out next week.
> 
> -Reddie


	6. Forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I can't believe I'm almost done with the draft for this. That aside, things are getting rather serious, so I hope you'll enjoy the drama about to unfold from this point onward.
> 
> -Reddie

"Oh, hey! I forgot to ask!" Kaede piped up from the shotgun seat, causing Barnaby to glance at her.

"What is it?"

She had been curious as to what Nathan said to him last night, but it slipped her mind before she headed off to bed. Now was a good time to ask, she thought. But instantly, the Summertime Bakery came into view, proving her wrong for thinking so.

"Ah, never mind, we're here." She opened the car door the very second he parked, leaving Barnaby to trail behind her in a hurry.

The smell of freshly baked peach cobbler met them as they walked through the entrance of the bakery, followed by a sharp yell.

"Those strawberry hand pies were supposed to be out of the oven an hour ago!" A woman shouted, shortly before something shattered on the ground.

"Ah, shit," Another woman griped.

"Dammit, Susan!"

"Cool it, Bernice! It's not like I burned a fucking cobbler!"

Bernice squawked, "The peach cobbler! Agh, I need to go check on that!" Shoes squeaked against tile, and then, "Be a little more careful, alright?"

Kaede cleared her throat, "Hello? Excuse us?" They could hear the two gasp.

Susan brought her voice down, "We've got customers, what do I do?"

"Don't be stupid! Just go up front and leave this for now! I'll take care of this!"

"But the cobbler?"

"Just get out there!"

Dr. Hitch then came skittering up to the counter, greeting them cordially, "Hello, how can I help you today?"

"Good morning, I'm Kaede Kaburagi, private investigator," Kaede bowed. "I emailed you last night about my case with Sternbild United?"

"Oh, yes, I remember that. Well, let's have a seat at one of those tables over there and get to work, shall we?" Just as she said that, Bernice walked into view, clapping the flour off her hands. As Dr. Hitch moved past the counter, Bernice quirked a brow at her before following suit.

"I turned off the oven for now. What's going on here?" Bernice chimed in, sounding a little concerned. Kaede noticed her eyes on the case folder. "Who are you?"

"No need to be alarmed. I'm simply a private investigator and your wife isn't in any legal trouble," Kaede explained. "Surely she mentioned my message last night." With that, Bernice glared back at Dr. Hitch.

"Suuuusaaaan…"

"Whoops!" Dr. Hitch laughed sheepishly, scratching at the back her gray curls, "Slipped my mind, sweetheart! Sorry!"

"I sent it awfully late last night, so my apologies." Kaede said in Dr. Hitch's defense. "To fill you in, my name is Kaede Kaburagi, and I'm here to resolve a case sent to me by Sternbild United. They lost track of your wife's background information when they were backing up files." Barnaby readjusted his glasses, stepping out from behind her as the three other women seated themselves at a table.

Dr. Hitch pointed, "Say, who is that? You didn't mention you were bringing anyone along."

"Pardon me," Barnaby laughed sheepishly, standing up, "I just drove her here is all. I can wait outside if you want."

"Now, now, I have no protests to you being here," Dr. Hitch waved, "I'd just like to know who exactly you are. You look awfully familiar."

"My name is Barnaby Brooks-Kaburagi." Barnaby said, settling back down into his seat, "I used to work with _Hero TV_."

Bernice gasped in recognition, "Oh! You were part of that tag team, Tiger and Barnaby, right?" Barnaby nodded, lips curling into a smile as his heart swelled with nostalgia at the sound of that name. "Dear goodness me, I cannot believe my eyes! The King of Heroes, in my bakery! Hey, wait a minute… Brooks-Kaburagi, you say? Well, well! When did you marry him?"

"He decided to propose after we went off the air, and I simply couldn't find any good reason to refuse," Barnaby spoke almost boastfully, showing off his wedding band as he readjusted his glasses. "But enough about me. I'm only here on Kaede's account, so it'd be best to get down to business." Barnaby pointed down at Kaede's folder.

"Alright, alright, I understand," Bernice laughed, "Papa looking out for his daughter and all."

"He's not my dad." Kaede corrected simply, causing Bernice and even Dr. Hitch to blink at her. Against her better instincts, she glanced over at Barnaby, only to watch his smile wane ever so slightly. "Er! He's family though, definitely. And I won't deny that he means a lot to me." Still, the smile did not pick back up. Tentatively, Kaede proceeded to open up the folder. Barnaby cast his eyes to the side, avoiding her gaze.

"My apologies for making assumptions," Bernice murmured gently. "But, yes, anyhow, onto the matter at hand…"

Kaede detailed in to the situation and specifics of the case, giving out only the information that was necessary and inquiring where she saw fit. Every now and then, Kaede would catch Bernice looking at Dr. Hitch in such an obvious tender way that it made the investigator swallow, wondering if the sight of such an old happy couple was just more salt in the wound she'd just inflicted on him. And from the wistful way he'd look down at his wedding band when Dr. Hitch glanced back at her wife playfully, she could tell it was.

It wasn't helping her guilt at all, but what else could she say? Barnaby was family to her, but she couldn't even bring herself to say that he was her stepdad. Even then, to claim him as a parent of hers in any way felt too much like betrayal. It felt like letting go of something she was supposed to treasure forever, and for her that just seemed like such a deep injustice. She couldn't turn her back on her parents, no matter how many years would pass. The bond she shared with them was just irreplaceable, so Barnaby simply couldn't occupy their space in her heart.

"_Well, I can't tell you what to feel, Kaede. It's perfectly fine if you don't see him that way. But keep in mind that, if you do want to accept him as a parent, that doesn't necessarily mean rejecting your mother, you know?"_

Kaede pushed those words to the back of her head. It wasn't just her mother anymore… she didn't want Barnaby to take her father's place either.

"…and, last but not least, I can send you my college transcripts. If you need them, of course."

"Well, send me everything to be on the safe side." Kaede nodded, "And rest assured that any unnecessary information I receive from you will be completely confidential. I won't disclose anything to the hospital that I don't need to. Your information is safe with me."

"Thank you so much, Miss Kaburagi."

"Not a problem, Dr. Hitch."

The old woman giggled, "Oh, you can just call me Susan, sweetheart. You're welcome in this bakery anytime."

"Say… actually, before I go, could I maybe purchase a couple of your lemon bars? Those look great."

Bernice declared, "Certainly!"

And after handing over five Stern dollars, a final fleeting thought crossed her mind before she could even think of leaving the bakery.

"Wait. One last question, for certain." She took a small bite of one lemon bar, making a sound of delight at the taste. She swallowed, "Do you happen to know anything about Dr. Layla C. Page? They lost track of her background information as well."

"Ah, Dr. Page?" Susan murmured thoughtfully. "Well, I didn't know her very well, but I do remember she worked with terminally ill patients like I did. But that's it. I'm not sure if she specialized in anything… I _think _she was a cardiologist, but don't take my word for it."

Jotting it down in the margins of a sheet in the case folder, Kaede nodded, "Alright then. Thanks again. I hope you ladies have a lovely day."

"It was a pleasure!" Bernice waved, "Goodbye!" As the door shut behind them, Kaede breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

Barnaby was silent through the drive back to Century City, much to Kaede's dismay. She insisted that it wasn't a big deal and continued saying that he really did mean a lot to her, but he could only send a weak smile her way at that, the kind that said he didn't have the energy to pretend he didn't care anymore. He wanted to be her stepdad in the very least, but she wouldn't even give that to him. Being raised by his uncle after his parents' tragedy, he knew the feeling of not wanting anyone to replace dear old Mom and Dad. But it still hurt to be kept at arm's length like that. Yes, he was family to her, she said. Yes, he meant a lot to her, she said. Barnaby wanted to be satisfied with that alone, but it still made him feel a bit empty. Why couldn't that be enough for him?

"Look, it just isn't right, Barnaby," Kaede crossed her arms. "I can't just say you're my dad when I already have one…" She already knew there was something wrong with that argument, given that plenty of other people out there had two fathers. But that was different. Barnaby did not raise or adopt her as a child, carry her in his arms, or teach her how to walk. He simply said yes to a widower's marriage proposal. Just because he married Kotetsu didn't mean he had any right to be her parent.

"I would never dream of replacing Kotetsu, Kaede." He replied flatly, his voice tinged ever so slightly in sad disbelief. How could she think that? While he was at it, he added, "And I wouldn't dream of replacing Tomoe either."

Kaede muttered, "Old Man, do you… actually see me as your daughter?"

The red light came on, and he slowed to a stop without looking at her. Bernice's loving eyes were too busy burning into his skull with memories of Kotetsu, the way those sweet amber eyes used to make his heart swell with fervor. The memory inundated his head so strongly that he didn't really have that much capacity to hold a conversation about his feelings towards Kaede at the present moment. He didn't need unreciprocated parenthood to add onto the pain of missing Kotetsu.

Closing his eyes, he exhaled, "We can talk about this another time."

The green light returned, and Barnaby continued down the road, coming up towards a familiar venue, a plaza bustling with various people. He'd definitely been here before sometime in his first year as a Hero, but he couldn't quite place it. Maybe he was mistaken. If not, it really felt like the place had changed.

"Hey… that's where I used to skate as a kid," Kaede murmured fondly. Now that jogged Barnaby's memory. "It looks like… they turned it into a shopping center."

"Isn't this where I saved your life?" Barnaby couldn't help but say aloud, once it all came back to him. Now he remembered… that was the day Kotetsu first called him Bunny.

"Yeah." There was a pause before she said, "Let's stop by there. I have to go to the bathroom."

Silently, he complied, hoping that being surrounded by change would steal him away from his head for at least a moment.

* * *

The new shopping center was bustling with people, carrying all sorts of vibrant, colorful gift bags. Kaede took cautious steps, staying to the sidelines in order to avoid the crowd. As of this moment, she was surrounded by the threat of having her dad's power taken from her. She would've instantly regretted her decision to go through the place, had it not been for the fact that it had been a few hours since she last put her last tampon in before going to the bakery. There had to be a restroom around here somewhere, a stall where she could have some breathing space.

As the sign came into view, she could've cried of joy.

Looking back at Barnaby, she told him, "Found the bathroom." She pointed it out, "Can you wait nearby?"

"Certainly. Go right ahead." Barnaby replied, and with that, Kaede took off. The woman who had been trailing behind them the whole time then drew forward, running towards Barnaby eagerly. He glared back at her, putting a hand up. "Stop right there. Don't come any closer. Who are you and what do you want from me?"

"Huh?" The girl piped up, masculine voice showing through, "You don't recognize me?"

"Wait, that voice…" Barnaby blinked. She sounded so familiar, but that couldn't be right. He'd never seen this woman before in his life. Instantly, she looked down and made a noise of realization.

"Oh! My bad!" She put her hands up, dropping her bag. "Give me a second."

And in a flash of blue, the woman revealed herself to be—

"Ivan?" Barnaby's eyes narrowed, before widening in recognition. Ivan could only give a cheesy smile in return, picking up his gift bag once again. His hair had grown out, to the point where he had it tied back.

"It's been forever! How've you been, Barnaby?"

"Ah, I've been alright. More importantly, what were you doing in disguise in a place like this?"

"That, right." Ivan rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I'm actually supposed to be working right now, but I thought I could sneak over here real quick to snag a gift for Edward. His birthday's coming up soon, and they were having a sale at this one place." He pulled out a black tie, striped with thin lines of beige. "I think this'll suit him real well when school starts up in the fall."

"Oh? So he's a student again?"

"No, a teacher."

Barnaby blinked, "Where does he teach?"

"NEXT Police Academy. You see," Ivan explained a bit wistfully, "the Hero Academy we attended got closed down after the show went off the air, but in order to keep the school running, Principal Massini jumped on the police-training trend that put the show out of business and started hiring police academy instructors. After his sentence ended, Edward came to live with me. He wanted to get back on his feet and get a job, but no one wanted to hire him because of his criminal record. It was financially tough for the two of us for a while, but then Principal Massini emailed me after I put up a donations page on my blog. We talked, he offered me a job there, but I declined and told him about Edward's situation. So Principal Massini managed to pull some strings, Edward got an online degree in law, and the rest all fell into place." Ivan smiled fondly at the tie in his hands, before tucking it back into the bag, "I'm just glad I was able to support him while he was getting his life back together. He really is a good guy, so he deserves everything he's got going for him right now."

"Nice to hear it turned out that way." Barnaby sighed, "And what about you?"

"Oh, me? U-Uh!" Ivan laughed nervously, "I'm nothing special! Just your regular, run-of-the-mill employee, ehehe…"

"…what kind of civilian job has you in disguise as a young woman with blue highlights?" Barnaby crossed his arms, seeing right through Ivan's evasions. Ivan hung his head.

"Alright. You caught me. Just promise you won't hate me if I tell you."

"It's not anything illegal, is it?"

"Absolutely not!" Ivan raised his voice defensively. "Just the opposite!" And with that, Barnaby could already tell what Ivan's occupation was.

"So… you're an officer of the NEXT police too?" His voice was soft. Ivan could only hang his head and sigh.

In came the weak reply, "Yeah. I know, I look like a giant traitor right now, feeding into the very thing that put us off the air. But you know the viral video of that kid who sparked that police trend?"

_"If you really want to use your powers for the sake of justice, don't aim to be onscreen." The girl asserted, "If you want to prove you're doing something for the sake of justice, go into law enforcement. They're the real heroes because you can be certain they aren't doing their job just for the camera."_

As the memory of that line from the video passed through his head, Barnaby nodded, "Yeah… what about her?"

"I couldn't help but feel like… some of the stuff she said was pretty true. Like, we had legal limitations, and nobody really sang praises for the police. They did the dirty work of investigations and everything while we were claiming the glory onscreen. And it… made me really think about why I became a Hero in the first place. I liked the fame and all the perks of the job, but when it all boiled down to it, I did want to save people. That had been the core of it all along… and I knew I wanted to keep doing that even if it meant nobody would know what I was doing. So, when we went off the air, I got a free pass because of my Hero status to join the NEXT police force. I'm good like this, Barnaby. I can really put my powers to good use as an investigator." With that, he shape-shifted back into his woman disguise. "And with that being said, I really should get back to work. You should stop by to give a talk at the NEXT Police Academy someday though. I'm sure Principal Massini would appreciate it."

"I'll think about it," Barnaby said, sheepishly. He had no intentions of giving talks any more, though the thought of it was nice. But he didn't think he could bear to stand up there alone any more, having gotten so used to talking with Kotetsu at his side for all those years.

"Alright then. I'll see you around, Barnaby! Email me sometime!" And so Ivan took off, long lavender skirt flowing behind him as he moved on. Kaede snuck up on Barnaby, looking with envy to the woman leaving.

"Lucky her, definitely not on her period if she's wearing a light color like that." She muttered, and he gave a slight jolt in surprise. Just then, her phone went off. Thinking it might've been Dr. Hitch or one of the hospitals, she picked up without checking.

"Hello?"

"Is this Kaede Kaburagi?" asked a frail masculine voice.

"Yes."

"Finally, you pick up."

"…who is this?"

"Babe, it's me, Yun. Just hear me out, okay?" Kaede could feel herself grow pale with each word he spoke. "After all this time, I still love you. So let's talk this out, alright? I _need _you take me back, Kaede." He sounded like he was trying to hold back from crying, "My life is so empty without you, and I don't know how I survived this long. I tried moving on. But you're the only one for me. We're meant to be, I can feel it in my heart, I-I just need you to give me a second chance to be good to you, alright? Listen… I'm at your flat right now, so I'll be waiting for you to come home. Then we can finally talk face-to-face again after all these years. You won't regret it, I promise. I love you, Kaede. See you tonight." And as he hangs up, she realizes she's shaking.

"Kaede?" Barnaby asks, deeply concerned by the frightened look on her face. "Kaede, are you alright?"

"L-Let's go back to the car." She said, stepping past him in a hurry, "I'll tell you there."

* * *

Before they left the parking lot, she told him about Yun's call and contacted the authorities, albeit shakily and fighting to keep her voice even. She definitely couldn't go home for the night, not with Yun there, so Barnaby took her back to his apartment. Knowing she didn't quite have much place to turn, she muttered a "thank you so much", to which Barnaby replied "not a problem".

"Family has to stick together, right?" He added tentatively. She gave a silent nod, too busy battling her head and the awful images it carried of Yun to come up with a verbal reply.

A feeling of numbness permeated Kaede to the core as she walked all the way from the parking lot to the elevator to his front door. She kept her emotions at bay all the while. After he'd gathered together a blanket and a pillow for the night on his chair, he offered up his bed to her. Thoughtfully, he'd also given her a towel and one of the overnight pads he'd bought just in case. At that point, she had no good reason to say no.

After a few hours, when she thought she was certain Barnaby was asleep, she finally started crying. However, she then found that she was mistaken to start crying when she did, for Barnaby came rushing into the room, a look of worry on his face. Dammit… that was exactly what she was trying to avoid.

Before he could even ask, she blurted out in a choked sob, "It'll be my fault."

"What?" He said, drawing closer to her. He sat on the edge of the bed, keeping a good distance from her as she sat up, weeping into her hands.

"H-He's going to die tonight because I didn't go home. He's going to k-kill himself…" She sobbed, "H-His death will be my f-fault. His blood will be o-on my hands…"

"No, it won't." Barnaby kept his voice soft, down to as comforting a tone as he could manage, "Kaede, listen, he's not going to kill himself. He's just saying that as a way to get you to do what he wants."

"H-How are you so sure?" She hiccupped, red wet eyes glaring at him.

"Think about it. Didn't he tell you he'd rather die than live without you? Well, it's been what, fifteen years since you broke up with him, hasn't it? But you heard his voice through the phone. He's still alive, Kaede."

"S…Still alive…" she echoed, before hanging her head and rubbing her teary eyes, "He's alright…"

"His life will go on without you."

"Mm."

"And you deserve to have yours go on without him too."

"Mm."

"Kaede, please, look at me." She peered up at him just as the tears began to gush out again.

"What?"

He kept his eyes firmly fixed on hers, "I can only imagine it's a hard thing to let go of. And you don't necessarily have to, if you can find a way to live with it. But at the same time, I can't help but worry for your well-being. I don't want you to continue carrying your past like that if it'll only be a burden on you." He then broke the gaze, looking to the side. "You've suffered through so much. You really owe it to yourself to be able to move forward."

"You too." She croaked, this close to touching his ring finger before she caught herself. Hastily, she pulled the hand back to herself, looking down in shame. But Barnaby got the message, and he breathed a sigh because he knew she was right. Even reliving sweet memories could be painful, because they showed him all the things he didn't have anymore.

With that, he got up and made his way back to the living room.

"Good night, Kaede. Try to rest easy."

For a split second, she desperately wanted to get up and grab his wrist, keep him from leaving the room. More than anything, she desperately needed a hug. But, remembering what she held, she decided against it. She fell asleep, wrapped in a familiar blue glow to comfort herself.

The embrace of a ghost would have to be enough for her.


	7. Quiet Combustion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I noticed a lack of tension with vengeance, so I had to change that. :P
> 
> As for all the thoughts about justice and legality and the legal system, perspectives I've put forth aren't necessarily perspectives I agree with. I suppose now is as good a time as any to remind people that the content of a work does not necessarily reflect the writer's own views in reality. And frankly, I don't really owe anyone any personal clarification about where I stand. I simply wrote what I thought was most in-character and what best served the narrative. So yes, this fic can contain perspectives some readers might be deeply uncomfortable with, and in that case, they're free to stop reading it at any time. But yeah, that's about it for me saying anything heavy, so be forewarned.
> 
> Wow, it really is a crime drama now. Hope you enjoy this chapter.
> 
> -Reddie

_"Kaede!" Kotetsu sat up in his bed with an eager smile the minute he spotted his daughter from the doorway. Kaede gasped, dropping her purse as she ran to him._

_But before she could draw any closer, the bars of a prison cell crashed down in front of her, emanating an eerie bright blue glow. _

_Grasping the bars, before her, she screamed, "Dad!" The room around him melted into blank white, and in the blink of an eye, Kotetsu sank back into his bed, sound asleep. A tall, familiar woman with cropped inky hair approached him, extending a bloody gloved hand towards his body. Her palm hovered above his chest as she paused to look back at Kaede. This doctor's teal eyes were innocent, but her burgundy smile was wicked. Kaede couldn't believe her eyes, "Dr. Page, you…"_

"_This is what he wants," Dr. Page spoke plainly._

"_Don't you touch him!" Kaede shrieked, squeezing the bars as she powered up. She strained to rend them apart, but they would not budge no matter what she did. The blue glow only seemed to intensify the more she fought it. She sobbed, roaring as she shook the bars, "Dad!" _

_Kaede watched in horror as Dr. Page pressed a crimson index finger to her father's chest, watching his eyes snap open as he gasped in pain. The noise of the heart rate monitor grated against her ears as his pulse skyrocketed beyond anything humanly possible. Stinging tears ran down Kaede's face as she continued to scream, begging Dr. Page to stop. But it was no use. Giving up, she sank to her knees, loosening her grip on the bars and falling apart into a weeping mess. Dr. Page approached her, speaking in a comforting tone._

"_Hush, Kaede. Don't you want your loving parents to be reunited at last?"_

"_It's not your right… to end his life…" Kaede gritted out, clutching at the bars again as her power faded away. She hissed at Dr. Page, "This is against the law! You can't decide that! How dare you!"_

"_Come on now, you're so selfish. Let Daddy be happy for once, won't you?"_

"_He __**was**__ happy here!" Kaede shouted aggressively, her hands beginning to glow deep orange as she gripped the bars harder, "He was happy with me and Barnaby! How dare you take him from us!"_

"_His time was almost up anyhow. You can't change what was meant to happen." _

"_You…!"_

_The bars shattered between her fingers, and she saw Barnaby dead on the hospital bed behind Dr. Page._

With a hoarse gasp, Kaede awakened to the noise of her cellphone going off. Every memory of the nightmare she'd just had eroded away as she grabbed her phone. Cautiously this time, she checked the number, making sure it wasn't Yun. It wasn't… but she'd seen the number before.

Smashing her thumb against her screen, she answered almost frenziedly, "Hello? Kaede Kaburagi speaking."

"Hi, this is Dr. Layla C. Page. I'm calling in reply to the voicemail you left me a couple of days ago. I just came back from vacation a little early due to some unforeseen circumstances, and I'd like to get this whole affair sorted out as soon as possible before I return to work. Goodness, if we could meet today, that would be great! I'd just like to take advantage of the time before I'm expected to return to work at the Century Center."

"Well, today works, if that's what you'd like." Kaede sat up, crossing her legs, "What time would you like to meet up? And where?"

"Let's meet around noon time, in front of the Century Center. My house is nearby, so I can walk you there and we can discuss the case over lunch. Sound alright to you?"

"Yes, that's just fine."

"Alright then!" Dr. Page chuckled pleasantly over the line. "See you later!"

"See you." And with that, Dr. Page closed the call, leaving Kaede to scramble outside for Barnaby.

* * *

On the way to the hospital, Barnaby was close to completely quiet, only sipping his coffee every now and then. He was tired and his head was filled with concerns about Kaede, but she seemed to be holding together perfectly fine. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if she was just masking her emotions again. No… he had to trust her. She could handle this. It was alright. She was an adult now, and he had to remember to treat her that way.

"Wait… just to make sure," He asked, rubbing his head sleepily, "we're heading to the Century Center for Health, right?"

"Yes. I'll be meeting with Dr. Page to figure out a way to recover her missing background information."

"Alright." Once he'd heard Dr. Page's name, he bit back the question of whether or not she'd be alright.

"_I'll have you know that I don't see myself as someone who has the right to end another person's life. In fact, I don't think anyone has that right."_

He took another sip of his coffee, swallowing down a portion of his worries. He could trust her, he reassured himself, again and again, as they reached the hospital curbside, then more so as she told him she'd meet him in a couple of hours, telling him to wait for her.

She closed the car door behind her, patting her purse for her line of defense just in case Dr. Page was dangerous. There was no shame in staying on the safe side, given the circumstances. She didn't want this case to be personal.

But she'd have to prove it wasn't first.

* * *

Dr. Page chuckled as she swiped the card to her door, "You know, I can't help but feel like we've met before?"

"Oh, yes, actually we have." Kaede smiled at her, "You treated my father once for an advanced heart disease."

"Ah… what is your name again, young lady?" Kaede stepped inside after Dr. Page, closing the door behind her as she entered. The crackling business-like voice of a news broadcaster ran in the background, coming from the radio on a small table in the back, next to a broken grandfather clock. The minute hand ticked between 12 o'clock and 11:59 with each second that passed.

"Kaede Kaburagi."

"Kaburagi…" Dr. Page rubbed her chin, before rounding her lips, "Oh! I remember treating a man named Kotetsu Kaburagi. He was your father, wasn't he?"

"Yes," Kaede said firmly, "and he still is."

"But of course," Dr. Page laughed lightly. "Hard to forget a face with a cute little kitty beard like that."

"Dorky, wasn't it?" Kaede couldn't help but giggle, but it was an empty sound. Dr. Page could only smile at her a bit sadly, remembering exactly what happened to him. But not wanting to pick at old wounds, she refrained from saying anything more to Kaede. It was hard to watch a daughter suffer like that.

The doctor settled down into an armchair, her phone and a plate with a few small chicken sandwiches stacked in front of her. The plate on the other side of the coffee table held the same food.

Gesturing to the couch across from her, she requested of Kaede, "Have a seat, and let's talk about this."

Kaede acquiesced, immediately laying out two of the case folders before her, "Now, I happened to receive two cases containing you, oddly enough. You seem to have an awful lot of background information missing, not just at your current workplace, but at Sternbild United as well."

"Oh." Dr. Page pursed her lips, "It's been many months since I worked in that hospital. What do they want with my files?"

"You see, they were backing up the digital information of _all_ staff, past and present, when—" Dr. Page's phone then made a hideous noise as it buzzed against the hard wooden surface of the coffee table between them. Kaede flinched ever so slightly at the sudden sound, watching as the doctor tapped a finger against the screen to wake it up. An old picture of Lunatic came up as her lock screen.

"Excuse me, Miss Kaburagi. I need to take this call for just a moment." Kaede could only give a nod, taking up one of her sandwiches to keep herself preoccupied. Dr. Page left the room for a moment, her voice becoming nothing more than a faint mumble once she was far enough down the hall of her house.

It bothered Kaede more than it should have, to see that ugly blue mask posed like a symbol of valor across this doctor's phone screen. Though she understood where people were coming from when they said Lunatic was admirable, Kaede herself stood firmly on the opposite side of such a thought. He was not above the law, and he had no right to end the lives of others. It looked more like a disgusting sense of entitlement in Kaede's eyes. Nothing could justify his actions, no matter what his past was or what his misguided intentions were. The law prohibited the killing of criminals, and that was final. Lunatic was nothing more than a murderer, plain and simple.

Trying to tune out of such bitter thoughts, she shifted her focus to the sound of the radio, hoping perhaps to hear something nice.

_"...and by next month, the bill on capital punishment in Sternbild may pass into law. Local government officials say…"_

Kaede grimaced. That was a mistake.

Around that moment, Dr. Page returned to the living room, giving up a whooping laugh when she heard the radio.

"Now that's something I'd vote on!" Dr. Page then sauntered back over, reclaiming her space in the armchair. "It's about time they pushed that bill. I won't waste anymore of my taxes keeping monsters alive in that nice little den they like to call prison."

"Mm." Kaede nodded, even though she could think of plenty of replies for that. Of course Dr. Page was going to take that side, since she was an admirer of Lunatic. There wasn't any use arguing over the matter. So before she could get carried away with such disdainful thoughts, she switched back to the main task at hand, "Anyhow, as I was saying earlier, they were backing up the files of everyone who'd ever worked there to hardcopy. They had significant trouble recovering the information with only two people in particular, one of them being you, the other a retiree. As for your current workplace, I received a separate case to look into your records alone. They're missing the medical files for Andrej Kauffman, Patrick Gerhard, and Sharon Shale in particular."

"Alright then. I'll send those to you," Dr. Page nodded.

"But… I'm not done." With this, Dr. Page shifted uneasily, taking a bite of one of her sandwiches. Kaede continued, "I've encountered a number of inconsistencies investigating your records in particular. The public database for your current workplace has you listed specifically as a pediatrician for cancer patients. But in Sternbild United, you worked with terminally ill adults like my father. Also, when I asked the retiree about you, she supposed you were a cardiologist. I find it very odd that knowledge of your working background is so muddy, so can you verify exactly what departments you've worked with in the past?"

"I'm not sure I appreciate your tone, Miss Kaburagi." Dr. Page spoke firmly, tension masked in her even speech, "Please don't talk down to me about what you think you know about _my_ job. You and I… we come from very different lines of work. I know how the medical world works, and you know how to deal with legal matters. I will gladly send you any files you ask for, but I don't need to explain myself. Is that clear?"

Leaning back guiltily with the feeling that she may have crossed a thin line, Kaede replied softly, "Yes. I didn't intend to hurt your feelings, Dr. Page, so I apologize if that came off as rather rude."

"Apology accepted." Dr. Page nodded, sated but still looking somewhat hurt. "Anyhow, the public database is correct, but I have worked in a few other departments. I have some old copies in my basement that I'll need to dig through, so this might take some time. I'll send you necessary files as soon as I can, and if you find anything else missing, notify me."

"I will," Kaede stood up, bowing. "Thank you for your time."

"Thank _you_ for coming on such short notice." Dr. Page chuckled. Pointing at her plate, she insisted, "Also, feel free to take your sandwiches with you. You hardly ate a bite."

Kaede gave a weak smile, "Sure thing." She wrapped them up in the napkins sitting to the side, carefully stuffing them into her purse in way that wouldn't show her self-defense weapon. Thankfully, Dr. Page was too preoccupied with her phone.

"Lunatic, huh?" Kaede couldn't help but murmur to herself.

"I admire his sense of justice." Dr. Page replied simply, "He knew how to separate monsters from humans, unlike those so-called Heroes. I think he gave the guilty exactly what they deserved."

"Mm." Kaede feigned a smile, holding back her disgust. She pushed back her judgments. Maybe there was something to Dr. Page's past that made her want to support such a wayward vigilante. The doctor could've had a spouse, a child, a best friend lying under hard dirt while their murderer continued to live and breathe and possibly laugh at the victims. That could be enough to make someone feel a bit bloodthirsty. Still, for Kaede, that didn't make it right though.

Innocents did get framed, Kaede understood. Her father had been accused of murder he did not commit, so she shuddered to think of what her life would've been like if Lunatic had his way with her father. How much emptier would her childhood have been if her father had been taken before his time? She would've suffered the kind of heart-rending loneliness that Barnaby had surely known with two dead parents…

Lunatic may have seen himself as a servant of justice, but he was far from it. Due process was something her father did not get in that accusation, and something that masked creep did not carry out. For Kaede, real justice followed the limits of the law.

Getting up, Dr. Page wandered towards the back of the living room, waving, "Goodbye, Miss Kaburagi."

Turning her back on Dr. Page, she replied, "Bye."

* * *

What happened?

As Barnaby locked eyes on the road, Kaede turned the inconsistency over in her head, wondering just what was going on as she stared down at her phone. The time was 12:19 PM. How long was the walk from the house to the hospital again, ten minutes? She could've sworn she was out the door, then down the street. So why did she end up at Dr. Page's front door again, for that one moment?

Dr. Page lit up with a blue glow, pressing her index finger to the broken grandfather clock. The minute hand froze, staying stuck to 11:59. And she smiled, before all Kaede could see in front of her again was the sidewalk ahead.

Was what she saw real? It had to have been real. She could feel her feet on the ground just fine at the time.

It made her uneasy to think she had been so close to another NEXT without knowing the whole time. And now… she understood exactly what Edmond was saying about getting a feeling he couldn't shake off about this doctor. When she thought about it, Dr. Page seemed awfully defensive at such a simple question. Kaede still felt bad about hurting her feelings, sure, but nothing seemed perfectly fine with this woman. She admired Lunatic and supported capital punishment. It wouldn't be surprising at all to find out Dr. Page had murdered people since that was the case. She'd have an excuse for it like her favorite vigilante. She'd justify murdering someone else if she felt it was right.

Maybe Kaede really had been right to bring along her folded staff.

Furrowing her brows in frustration, she gave an unsatisfied grunt, crossing her arms and settling deeper into her seat. She'd just been face-to-face with a woman who believed she had the right to end someone else's life. Without a doubt, she was angry—no, enraged actually. And why wouldn't she be?

Barnaby cast a fleeting glance towards his stepdaughter, before looking back at the road.


	8. Unravelling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyyyyyy, apologies for not saying anything about that two-week hiatus on this fic. I was super busy with school, but, anyhow, I'm back now, and hopefully regular weekend updates will continue to the last chapter.
> 
> And now, time to enter the unnecessarily intense arc with new douchewad characters! :O Hope you enjoy! Chapter nine should be out next weekend!
> 
> -Reddie

After Barnaby had reached her flat, Kaede stepped out of the car feeling weightless and numb. She put a hand over her purse again, where she'd stowed away her folded staff.

"I think…" Kaede told him, voice only a notch above a murmur, "you should head home for now, Barnaby. I'm going to take a couple of days off from this case to clear my head."

There was a pause, and he stared at her for a moment, contemplating whether or not it'd be appropriate to ask why. He closed his mouth as soon as he'd opened it when she saw her blank brown eyes staring down at the ground.

Turning his back to her, he then said, "Alright. Contact me when you start up the investigation again."

"I will." She replied emptily. He couldn't help but look back at her, slowing ever so slightly, before continuing forward. She then added, voice barely above a mutter, "And… thanks for everything so far."

"Don't mention it," Barnaby replied without looking back, not sure if she heard him. She was already inside by that time.

As Kaede dropped herself onto her couch, Anya meowed at her, causing her to give up a sigh of relief at the fact that the automatic feeder had been on. She missed Anya so much, and she would've come home sooner had it not been for Yun's surprise visit. Tossing her purse over her head, she patted her lap.

Weakly, she called in a light voice, "Anya, baby, come here." The cat skittered towards her eagerly, plopping down on her stomach and purring as Kaede ran a hand through her fur. But all too quickly, Anya's ears perked up, and the cat hopped off, running for the litter box. "Nooo, come baaaaaaack." Kaede called in vain, reaching for the empty air. But Anya was too preoccupied to reply.

Carelessly, she reached up to unzip her purse, taking out her folded staff and holding it high.

_ "Happy birthday, Kaede!" Saito grinned, his mic turned up perhaps a bit too loud, but it didn't matter. "Since you're starting college soon, I made this just for you!"_

_ "Oh, no! I can't accept this," Kaede squeaked abashedly. "I mean, what would people think of me if they found out I was carrying a weapon? Anyhow, I'm a NEXT! I don't need a weapon! I can just use Barnaby's Hundred Power and clock them, like Dad does!"_

_ "But what if you're attacked by another NEXT?" Saito posed, "If you punch them, won't the Hundred Power disappear? And what if you don't know how to use their power?"_

_ "Agh… no way, I'm not taking it…"_

_ Slinging an arm around Saito, Kotetsu insisted, "Aw, come on, sweetie! He made it just for you!"_

_ "But…"_

_ "You really should." Barnaby quipped, "Cities up north aren't quite as friendly to women, let alone NEXT women. It'd be handy to have something like this on your person if you end up becoming a target in a violent crime."_

_ Kotetsu frowned, "Geez Bunny, that's laying it on a little thick!"_

_"I'm just being honest with her," He crossed his arms. "It's necessary knowledge. She should learn how to fend for herself properly." Their eyes met, and Kaede looked away from him. She wasn't sure if he was babying her too or if he was actually attempting to treat her like an adult. Either way… he did have a point._

_ Saito put the staff forward, smiling at her with the invitation to take it._

She put the staff down, tucking it back into her purse. Before she got this from Saito, she actually carried around a folded knife she found on the way home from school one day. It was easier to hide than the staff because it fit right in her pocket, and when unfolded, the blade was nearly three inches, almost as long as her index finger. It used to be just perfect for her, and it came in handy once after a study meet in high school ran a little late one night. The horny fool didn't stand a chance. She'd only whipped it out and that alone was enough to send him running.

But of course, developing haphephobia changed all of that.

She dug up the staff the day after her dad had passed. Unfolded, the whole thing was nearly as long as her leg, measuring up to about three feet. To test it, she spent an afternoon behind her flat, banging it on bricks and metal, and the thing just wouldn't snap. She even powered up and tried breaking it over her knee, and even then, it still retained its shape. It truly was made for her. And most importantly, it kept other NEXTs at a distance.

She'd never used it against anyone before, and she didn't ever want to start. But if there was anything she learned over all those gruesome murder and rape case requests she'd rejected, it was that the world could be a very nasty place. There was a chance that someday, she'd be put on the spot again like she was when she was carrying the knife. And she'd have to be prepared to defend herself.

Kaede shook the thought of an altercation with Dr. Page from her mind. That was over. She was safe, and her dad's power had been retained. It didn't happen, but she had been prepared. It was unlikely they would ever meet again. That's right… Dr. Hitch would send in her files, Dr. Page would send in her files, and everything would check out just fine. Even so, the bad feeling rising in her gut simply at the thought of that Lunatic-loving bitch told her that was just wishful thinking.

"Dammit, Kaede." She ran a hand down her face, covering her mouth. She'd never been so angry over someone and she needed to get a grip before it spiraled out of control. First, she shifted the blame to her period. It was her third day and she was now more than halfway done, so the mood swings were likely signaling its approaching end. The change in hormones was merely exacerbating the situation for her… that was all. Things probably weren't as bad as she felt they were.

Well, if that was the case, a nap would be in order. Sleep was always a good remedy for period-related problems anyway…

* * *

She ended up sleeping the whole day away. Upon a routine visit to the bathroom, she'd found significantly much less blood, which gave her reason to smile just a little. Her period would clear up by the end of tomorrow, and now, her anger over Dr. Page wasn't quite as intense as yesterday. It was still there, but it didn't assault and torment her head the way it did before she took a nap. That was a definite improvement.

She spent a couple of hours snuggling with Anya, watching a movie on her laptop. Then by whim, she felt like going out and running some errands. What did she have to do again? Checking the fridge, she saw she needed to stock up on cabbage and eggs (for okonomiyaki, of course!), then waltzing into her bedroom, she noticed how full the laundry hamper was with her dirty clothes. In the kitchen, she caught glimpse of the automatic feeder's jar, and decided that it wouldn't be bad to stock up on pet food too if she got the chance. And taking a whiff, she narrowed eyes at the litter box.

When she found herself blowing her bangs out of her face while cleaning it out, she also thought a haircut wouldn't be too bad.

That could still work out, so long as her hairdresser wasn't a NEXT. She knew the old man down at the Whimsy Hair Salon was definitely not a NEXT, so she could just wait for him. Still, she was a little antsy about the idea of making contact with another person. It was something she was so used to avoiding at all costs that, even with the knowledge that someone wasn't a NEXT, she was still on edge from just the thought of it. Physical contact with other people was something she'd come to associate with her greatest fear, and it wasn't so easy to let herself relax over it now that she'd ingrained that fear into the back of her head.

Ever since her mother died, she'd been afraid of losing people, or at least losing whatever she had left of them. At her mother's death, she clung to her teddy bear, but she'd misplaced that. At Anju's death, she clung to her blue flower clip, and she'd unfortunately misplaced that too. And now, at her father's, she clung to her Hundred Power. That had to be the hardest thing to hold onto, because it meant letting so many other things go: warm embraces, friendly handshakes, caring pats on the back. She missed human contact more than she could say. She craved it so badly, and it hurt sometimes to think she'd never be able to hug some of her dearest friends ever again. But the thought of losing her dad for good hurt her so much more.

"_I don't want you to continue carrying your past like that if it'll only be a burden on you."_

"Well, it's a burden I'm willing to bear with," she muttered weakly as she headed out the door, saying it more to reassure herself than anyone else. But frankly… she wasn't sure just how long she could keep this up. What if one day, just by some stupid chance, she was jostled in the supermarket by no fault of her own or anyone else's? It could happen someday, and she was convinced it would, seeing that she'd lost everything else before too. That terrified her to no end, and she tried to keep it out of mind. But if losing her dad forever was inevitable… she'd have to find a way to deal with it, wouldn't she?

She blinked back her tears, trying to tell herself it would never happen.

* * *

Meanwhile, Barnaby decided he wanted to be of more assistance in the investigation other than just driving her around.

After searching twenty years of his life for his parents' murderer, he had become well acquainted with the process of investigation. Perhaps with his extensive experience, he could find even more on Dr. Page than Kaede could. Once he'd selected which case to focus on in particular (the one where there was missing information on patients at the Century Center), he got to work right away, skimming through the spots where he knew information would be. He uncovered various online journals, recordings made by terminally ill patients under her care. It was a poignantly heartbreaking thing to watch people documenting their last days with calm, peaceful voices, some sounding more resigned or cheerful than others.

And then he couldn't help but wonder if Kotetsu ever made any of these recordings.

It occurred to him then that he'd received some belongings in his will: an old button-up, some Mr. Legend memorabilia, and a phone with a cracked screen, amongst various other small items. For a year now, Barnaby couldn't really find it in him to even open any of the boxes they'd been stowed in. But… this was important. Otherwise, how else could he completely reassure Kaede that Kotetsu wasn't murdered? He needed proof.

He got up and left his computer for his room, pulling out a dusty box from under his bed.

"Anyhow, it's not like this is none of my concern. It's not like I'm butting in and being nosy or anything…" he defended against no one, voice directed at his wedding ring as he opened up the box. He took up a notebook first, thinking that could be a good bet. He flipped through, seeing pages of time increments labelled by date, coming to the conclusion that Kotetsu had been recording how many seconds he'd been losing when his powers started dissipating. The last recorded entry had him down to one minute. Barnaby frowned, unable to help thinking that time could be such a cruel, limiting thing. He always ended up wanting more of it, for himself, and for everyone he loved. His thoughts flickered back to Kaede, and he couldn't help but wish that she'd been able to spend more time with Kotetsu as well.

Reluctantly tucking the notebook away, he took up the cellphone next. He turned it on, only to find that it was low on battery. Thankfully, he found the charger buried in there too, and so that left him to plug it in and wait about an hour. Proceeding back to the computer, he gave a brief glance backwards, feeling like he could've sworn someone had called his name.

"_Hey, Bunny."_

He shook his head profusely and continued out, balling his left hand into a fist like he was clutching something.

* * *

The legality of the death penalty was definitely not something pleasant to ponder while buying red cabbage, especially for imaginative people. It was easy to think of heads rolling out from under the guillotine into the basket below the blade.

Kaede quickly tucked the cabbage into her basket, trying to shoo the grotesque thought away, but the words from the radio continued to flicker through her head. It really sickened her to think about what would happen if that bill were to pass. She did think it true for the most part that justice followed the limits of the law. But she understood that legal institutions weren't perfect either, which was why she never ended up working as a part of federal law enforcement. Something in her gut told her that she couldn't quite trust the institution completely, having been revealed at such a young age to the corruption of seemingly trustworthy men like Maverick. Private practice gave her the agency to proceed with investigations as she saw fit. No higher authorities held her back or ordered her to move in before she was ready to, and that was exactly the kind of freedom she needed. And besides, she didn't want to end up with a leash around her neck the way her dad and Barnaby did… not that she'd ever tell them that was how she ended up seeing it.

She couldn't help but sigh as she plucked an egg from a carton, before taking up a case. It was funny, really. She wanted to be a Hero herself at one point, taking on a stage name of something like Wild Chameleon or Kitty Kaleidoscope. But they took the show off the air before she could even think of that, because of that viral video and its subsequent generation trend. The video really did get to her, and it was part of the reason she was drawn to working in law enforcement. But she wasn't about to slap her father in the face by joining the NEXT Police, especially when she could tell that he wasn't ready to quit the day he called to say they were out of business. She wasn't about to let what happened to her father get in the way of what she wanted to do with her life either.

For her, doing this work and just life in general had always been about striking a balance, keeping both sides of the scale weighed as evenly as she could. She had to reconcile her passion with tactfulness, her gut with hard evidence, and now, her values with the law. So what if capital punishment became legal in Sternbild? Millennia ago, people legally owned other people as property. Centuries ago, her father's marriage to Barnaby would not have been legally recognized by the state. Legality didn't necessarily define justice. Just because something was illegal didn't make it wrong, and just because something was legal didn't make it right. Now, there was a chance that the state could legally carry out the atrocity of murder against human beings, framed innocents and even guilty people that Kaede liked to believe were still capable of being reformed. The fact of the matter was, once a life was taken, there was no bringing it back. Kaede knew this very personally. But there wasn't really anything she could do except vote against it.

She caught herself for a moment, moving out of the way before someone could accidentally bump into her. Scolding herself for being so careless, she hastened for the register with her cabbage and eggs. These were thoughts for another time and place. Wasn't going out supposed to take her away from her head anyway? Wasn't that why she went out in the first place? What was it she needed to do next again…?

Oh, yeah, she wanted to cut her hair.

* * *

"Just checking, but your girl's hair is dark brown, right?"

"Black, and it's got blue streaks." Ivan answered, tying back his long hair in the mirror.

"Ooh, you might want to do away with the highlights, Karelin."

"I thought he was going to strike next at a chic hair salon though? I'm just trying to blend in with the crowd."

"The perp was pretty particular, so make sure to match the description; otherwise this operation won't go well."

"Mrrh." Ivan sighed, shifting his disguise, muttering to himself, "sorry, Junko-san, guess your style wasn't good enough."

"Ugh, Karelin, for the last time, please don't name your disguises. The guy kidnapped and killed twelve women, so stop screwing around playing dress-up, alright? This is serious!"

"I know it's serious! I just gave her a name to get into character, alright? I don't want to compromise this operation." Ivan groaned, fixing his collar, before zipping up his purse and heading out of the restroom. "Don't worry. I'll catch him for sure."

* * *

Kaede often found herself in want of a haircut during trying times.

She cut her hair after breaking up with Yun, then when she found that she couldn't finish her degree in four years, then a week after misplacing her purse on the taxi, then finally after losing her dad. She'd cut her hair especially short at that time, and now a full year had caught up with her since then. The length of hair she willingly cast off may have returned, but it brought no comfort to her to know that the father she unwillingly accepted the death of could no longer be brought back. Haircuts were supposed to make her feel lighter, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders so that she could move forward.

But that last haircut left her feeling empty and regretful, the feeling of her dad's hand in her hair carved into her tactile memory, him telling her that he was so proud of the kind of person she was growing up to be. And for a woman who'd disappointed herself over an overdue graduation, an abusive relationship, and carelessness when using public transportation, those words meant the world to her. They made her want to cry and come clean, tell Kotetsu all the reasons he was wrong to be proud of his daughter, but she knew it wouldn't have been any use. Because she was certain that he loved her too much to change his mind. Her dad had such a stubborn heart. To this day, she still wondered how on earth it ever gave out on him like that. He had so much love left to offer, right to the very end.

She couldn't help but wish he'd gotten more time to give the last of it to Barnaby too.

Upon closing the salon door behind her, her blood ran cold when she heard the cocking of a gun.

"Alright ladies, up against the wall!" A young man in a ski mask shouted, pointing the barrel around the room. Everyone froze up, too scared to move. Kaede could only put her hands up, a few others following suit. At this, he fired a shot at the ceiling, repeating himself. "Up against the wall now!"

With this, a number of people scrambled to the side of the room, the men and a few obstinate souls staying put, Kaede not included among them. Ensconced between two taller women, she tucked herself away from sight, reaching down to unzip her purse for the folding staff. This guy didn't look like a NEXT, but she couldn't be certain. It was better to be prepared and not take any risks. She watched as he shoved and prodded the stubborn people up to her side of the room, about ready to pounce and get out.

"Kaede. Don't move," Whispered one of her neighbors. Kaede nearly gave a start, horrified to find that she had been standing so close to a telepathic NEXT. How else would this stranger know her name?

Yet still, she bothered to ask, "How do you know my name?"

"It's me," he whispered, "Origami Cyclone, remember?" Oh, alright, she was half-wrong then, but still mortified to be standing so close to another NEXT.

"Ivan, right?" She faltered, hoping she hadn't forgotten his name. To her relief, he gave a very brief nod. Last time she saw him was the wedding, so it had definitely been awhile. But that seemed very beside the point. "What are you doing here?"

"Long story short, I'm here to apprehend that guy and any accomplices he may have at his side."

"…what… accomplices?" She said slowly, looking around the room tensely and seeing no other suspects. It occurred to her maybe there was a NEXT using a similar kind of camouflage ability like Ivan's, but for the sake of her sanity, she shook her head of the thought. When Ivan did not pose any immediate reply, she bit her lip, noticing the ski-masked man drawing near their end of the line. He paused upon a young lady with platinum blonde hair, grabbing a fistful her blouse before flinging her out of the line.

He barked, "Ugly tramp! Stay in the other corner!" On the verge of tears, she obeyed, trembling as she took her place on the opposite side of the room with the guys. Ivan watched her carefully, seeing that her back was turned towards the rest of the room as she hid herself in the crowd. She seemed to be rifling through her jacket pocket, but instantly, the perp turned back around, shouting, "Turn the fuck around and put your hands up!" Kaede gasped, noticing the blue glint in his eyes, as well as the glow surrounding him.

"Shit," She muttered to herself, realizing that maybe she'd been a little too loud, now that this guy's eyes were fixed on her. Kaede wanted to scream at the moment, but she bit her lip and forced herself to look down. With that, the guy snorted at her, dismissing her outburst and turning away. She could barely sigh in relief. That was really close.

"Careful now, we're in a delicate situation." Ivan scolded in a voice quiet enough to be Saito's without a mic. She could only nod at him with the most inaudible "Mm", trying to think of her next best possible course of action. Ivan must've held some specifics, like what this guy's power was, and why he was holding a hair salon of all places hostage, and who his accomplices were and what they were doing now.

Then before she knew it, Kaede couldn't move her feet or arms forward.

"Ivan…" she murmured cautiously, "can you move?"

"I can't," Kaede restrained another curse, lest she attempt to screw herself over again. "Okay, he's moving back towards the other end of the line. You're pretty short, right?" She nodded, waiting to see where he was going with this. "Alright, there's a sink behind us. If you can use whatever power you've got on right now to break the hold, I need you to duck under there and call in reinforcements for me. The code is 'Dinner later?'."

"Okay. What number do I call?"

Ivan drew a blank. Now it was his turn to bite back a curse, "I don't know." He then gestured with his eyes, "Alright, take my purse and the number should be under—dammit, he's coming back towards our end." Before he could finish, Kaede flashed blue and overpowered the hold, ducking under the sink. Ivan could only make a very low "ffffffffff-" sound, wanting to stomp his foot if he were able to.

She had five minutes.

Too hastily, she merely pressed the number one on her phone before hitting the call button. And only as the contact "Dad" flickered across the screen did she realize and hate herself for forgetting that the number zero was her speed dial for the police. Her head went into absolute panic mode, and she tried to hang up, but now of all times, her phone chose to glitch out on her. No matter how much she tapped at the screen, she could not end the call. When the screen cracked, Kaede closed her eyes and tried not to cry. If she wasn't fucked earlier, she was definitely, irreversibly fucked now.

She inhaled deeply, trying not to think of having the last thing her Dad gave her being stripped away in the blink of an eye, trying not to think of bleeding to a slow, painful death on the linoleum before finding closure over the fact that her father had or had not been murdered, trying not to think of Barnaby having to live the rest of his miserable, lonely life alone likely blaming himself for something out of his control. But those thoughts broke through anyhow, and they got to her. The last one especially hurt her because he was her family, her adolescent inspiration, her role model reaching through the magazines when she felt her dad was too far away to really care. He meant something to her, and he'd already been through so much bullshit in his life that the last thing she wanted for him now was to leave him without a family again.

As she exhaled, she heard a faint voice in the phone, one that was definitely too quiet to be her dad's voice mail. Shakily, she pressed the phone to her ear, throat closed up in anticipation and dread.

"Kaede? Why are you calling Kotetsu's phone? What happened?" She bit her lip carefully, eyes darting between Ivan and the other person she'd been standing next to earlier… no one in sight just yet.

"I'm hostage at the Whimsy Hair Salon. Send help."


	9. Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hostage situation time, starring a creepy misogynistic serial killer, so big fat chapter warning! Also, touchy subject we have here, involving both mismanaged depression and emotional abuse. It's delicate and complex, for sure, but basically, as a general rule, if someone feels forced or obligated to stay despite not wanting to, then there is definitely something wrong with the relationship, so it was best to bring it to an end after all. Once again, please mind the tags!
> 
> Anyhow, this chapter is a long chapter. Next chapter is a long chapter. Please enjoy your long chapters! :O
> 
> -Reddie

A man in his right mind would've called the police. But if you took a lonely old man hearing hallucinations of his late spouse and put the last of his family in danger, he'd feel a need to deal with the issue very, _very_ personally.

His blood was boiling in his veins, clutching tight to the steering wheel and shoving his foot to the gas. Barnaby didn't quite remember the last time he'd been so angry, but as Kotetsu's phone shifted in his pocket, he grounded himself. He would not power up, nor would he speed, nor would he dare get any blood on his hands. Focus was vital first. His stepdaughter was in danger, and he needed a plan if he wanted to get her out of there alive.

The first step was to turn on the radio. Lucky as he was, there was a breaking news report airing about the hostages at a local hair salon.

_"…been held hostage for the past hour. The salon is currently guarded by Evie Sterling, a young NEXT with the ability to turn into a giant. So far, she has incapacitated two officers who had approached the door to negotiate. The situation has been regarded as highly dangerous, and any unit of the NEXT police has yet to be deployed."_

"Hmph." Barnaby couldn't help but scoff, looking to his empty wrist. The First League would have been there sooner if they were still active, he thought. But the NEXT police had good reason to deliberate, bearing in mind that this was a hostage situation. Ivan was probably eager to jump into action, he was sure.

_"The main suspect behind the crime, Wayne Chandler, is also reported to possess NEXT abilities. We have yet to know what his powers are, but what we do know is that he is responsible for the kidnapping and murders of twelve various women in the county. That's all we have for now. Stay tuned for further details as the event continues to unfold." _

"Wayne Chandler…" Barnaby turned the name over on his tongue, shifting onto the exit off the freeway. He glanced down at his pocket again, knowing that Kaede was still on the line. And though he was sure she couldn't hear him, she reassured, "Don't worry, Kaede. I'm coming to get you out of there."

* * *

"Alright, ladies," Wayne laughed, tugging his ski mask off to reveal his sculpted face and glowing blue eyes. "My name is Wayne Chandler and you may be wondering what exactly you're all doing here." He said, sauntering up to a particular lady far away from Kaede's end of the line. He lifted her by the chin to look him in the eyes, "The answer is simple: I'm just a humble man, looking for the woman of my dreams."

"Do you really think holding us here against our will is going to make any of us fall for you?" She hissed in reply, tone bitter.

"Well, sweetheart, in case you didn't know," He leaned in closer to her, his breath falling over her lips, "there's this lovely little thing called Stockholm syndrome, so, yes, I think if we give it enough time, we can make things work out real nice."

He let her go, and she gagged, "You're sick."

"So judgmental." Wayne could only laugh, pacing across the room, towards Kaede's end of the line, "Come on, you don't even _know_ who exactly this Wayne Chandler is. He has a heart full of love but no one to give it to. He has dreams and aspirations, stories to share, support to spare during hard times… a nice warm bed to snuggle up in. Somebody's gotta give him a chance… hey…" He noticed a blue light under the sink, "who's under there?"

Kaede froze up, shaking. Ivan bit his lip, trying his hardest not to look back at her.

"I'll check, Wayne." A man on the opposite side piped up, stepping out of the crowd. It seemed like nobody noticed him, even Ivan, until he came forward. A couple of people gasped, and Wayne could only smile. Kaede didn't want to believe her ears when she could've sworn she recognized that voice.

"Glad I can count on you, Mr. Koyama. Thanks for tagging along."

"Don't mention it."

"Koyama?" She whispered to herself, shortly before she felt a hand on her arm pulling her out. When he saw her face, he gasped.

"Ka…Kaede…" He blinked, before placing a hand on her cheek, "Could it be after all this time… oh my goodness. Is it really you?"

She choked out, feeling trapped, "Yun…"

Her whole head was screaming at her to get away, but when he took her into his arms, she couldn't find the will to move. She could feel the power draining away in the last seconds of her five minutes as she sank into the embrace. The sound of Wayne's laughter grated against her ears.

"You know this beauty, Mr. Koyama?"

"Yes, we…" He stepped back from her to look at the captor, "dated in high school. I've been… meaning to pick things back up with her again."

"Well then," Wayne put his hands on his hips, "if that's the case, you can keep her."

"But… isn't she your type?" Yun said, brushing a hand through her hair, causing Kaede to shudder. "Brunette..."

"Uh, y-yeah, she's got gorgeous hair and all…" Wayne blushed, gulping, "but… if you dated her, she's probably a bit old for me, isn't she?" Yun looked at him questioningly, causing Wayne to look away from the two of them, "Listen, I'm a selfish brat, big guy. Don't tempt me and just have her if you want her so bad…" Yun looked back at Kaede hesitantly, holding out his hand with pleading eyes.

She looked down at the ground in shame as she placed her hand in his.

"Thank you, Wayne."

"Now that that's all settled," Wayne approached the line, drawing close to Ivan's end of the line, "let's get started, shall we? I'm going to have a nice long chat with each and every one of you in the restroom over there. And don't even think of doing anything stupid. Mr. Koyama's got his eyes and ears on you and my cousin is out there crushing idiots' heads under her heels." As he pulled a woman from the line, Ivan furrowed his brow, thinking this was his best bet at snagging Wayne. If he could get the creep alone, he'd be able to apprehend him properly and free the hostages.

He took a deep breath, looking to Kaede, hoping she could read the message in his eyes: "Stay put. I can get us all out of here, just be patient." But her eyes were fixed on the ground, and her mind was elsewhere as Yun slung his arm around her and pulled her close. She suffocated in the familiar smell of mint cologne and started to feel herself drown back into his grasp, defeated.

Neither of them had really changed over the years, had they?

* * *

The hours slipped by as Kaede sat there in front of Yun, listening to him unload the last fifteen years of his life, explaining how the loss of her led to his inability to focus on anything anymore, to his lack of motivation to work, to his spiral into an over-the-counter-addiction to cough syrup. And surrounded by her guilt, all Kaede could do is sink further into that shitty feeling she'd been trying so hard to get rid of, the little echo in the back of her head that had constantly been telling her over the years that if his life went to shit, it was entirely her fault. And from the way he was spinning it, she couldn't help but feel like it really was.

"It wasn't as if I didn't try, but you know… depression makes it pretty hard. That on top of missing you, just… goodness, Kaede. There were nights where all I would've killed for was just to embrace you again."

At this, she leaned forward and did just that, surprising him.

"I'm really sorry I wasn't there for you, Yun." She spoke solemnly, her voice barely above a whisper. And as much as she wanted to cry, she held back her tears as she had all those years ago, for fear of making him more upset than he already was. Anyhow, she'd didn't like troubling other people in the first place.

He brought his arms back up around her.

"Apology accepted, Kaede. I mean… we're finally together again." He took in a deep, happy breath, "It must be fate that we crossed paths here. It's a sign we're meant to be. And now… life feels like it's finally moving forward again."

"Mm."

"All those wasted years apart…" He added softly, "and now, we can finally make up for lost time." Hesitantly, he pressed his forehead to hers, then asking in an almost endearing murmur, "Can I… start by kissing you?" Her throat tightened up, but after all he'd been through, she didn't think "no" was an answer she was capable of. In reply, she could only give a weak nod. And as he leaned forward to accept her kiss as though it were a precious gift sent from heaven, a sharp voice cut in, startling Kaede.

Wayne approached them, ready to set a hand on Kaede's shoulder, "On second thought, let me at her before you do anything!"

"NO!" She yowled.

Without thinking, Kaede thrust her hand into her purse and swung her staff hard, knocking both Wayne and Yun onto their backs. Collective gasps and worried murmurs arose, and she could spot the horrified look on Ivan's face. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears, and she backed up from the two of them as they began to move again.

"Okay, nevermind," Wayne grunted as he got up, wiping the blood from his mouth as he moved away from them. "And as for that staff… Mr. Koyama, make sure to keep your woman under control." Wayne continued up again, taking another woman from the line. Yun struggled up to his feet and drew closer to Kaede, eyes pointed at the ground. Tears trickled down his cheeks, causing Kaede to swallow back her own guilty tears, rendering her unable to stammer out any apologies whatsoever. Crying was the last thing she wanted to see from him after all he'd been through. But when he looked up, his expression did not just convey the face of a kicked puppy.

No, he looked just as livid as he looked hurt.

Alarmed by his look of anger, she drew backward, but he seized her by both wrists before she could retreat any further. His clutch was tight and shaky. And when their eyes met, Kaede dropped the staff altogether in fear, thinking from his glare that he might actually hurt her if she didn't. Even worse, she thought she would've deserved it anyhow.

Then suddenly, he broke eye contact, taking a deep breath as he bent down to pick up her staff. Kaede resisted the urge to put her guard up, or to activate her powers. She simply closed her eyes and expected him to hit back more than once, get even for all the pain she'd just inflicted on him in the past moment and the last fifteen years before that.

Instead, he folded it back up and tucked it away… shortly before looking her dead in the eye.

"It's always been your fault!" He choked out through his tears. "And I can't believe it took me so long to realize that!"

"Y…Yun…"

"I spent the last fifteen years hating myself over you. For too long, I thought _you_ were the one who'd been hurt, and that any pain I felt wasn't worthy of any comfort. I swear, I thought if I just kept trying, if I could just find the right words, I could've gotten a second chance, but texting you was like screaming apologies at a brick wall." His voice was strained with the edges of a sob, "I really blamed myself for that disaster of a breakup… but you know? I really couldn't help that my brain was too fucked up for you to handle. I never felt like I deserved support because I thought I was the one who'd done something wrong. But I get it now. You've been the one hurting me all these years! It's your fault I constantly feel like I'd only be a burden on anyone I tried to reach out to! It's your fault that I had to drown myself in cough syrup just to make it to the next day! It's your fault I'm living on the streets without a job! It's your fault I'm like this!

"STOP IT! NO!" She shouted, covering her ears as her guilt surrounded her. Each exclamation was a blow to the chest, and she felt like her heart would cave in under the weight of her shame verbalized like this. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't handle him. She did what she needed to take care of herself. There was nothing wrong in taking care of her sanity. There was nothing wrong in trying to take her life back from him! "I-It's… not my fault!" She choked out, trying to reassure herself and show him.

Instead, it only prompted him to grab her by the jacket and shout in her face.

"How can you say that!" He roared, fresh tears burning trails down his face, "You knew the state I was in, and you _left_ me! You didn't even bother to make sure I was okay after the fact! I was always the one trying to start the conversation, but you never responded! And you thought ignoring me _wasn't_ going to fuck with my head? It _is_ your fault I'm like this!" She tried closing her eyes, turning her head to the side so that she wouldn't have to face all these accusations. But then he started shaking her, raising his voice, "Look this mess you made in the face and own up to it, Kaede! All my shit is YOUR FAULT!"

Yun doesn't expect to feel a blow right across his face.

"Do you really think," Barnaby began, bordering on shouting volume, "you can just blame someone else for all your problems and call that love?" Kaede stared up at him, blinking in disbelief. Her eyes darted back to the front door, now completely blocked by an unconscious giant NEXT.

Now her head was spinning everywhere, weighing a million options in the passing seconds. She could scramble back to Yun's side, tell Barnaby to stay out of it, or she could let the old man keep on… let him stand up for her like she couldn't against Yun. And while Yun was preoccupied, maybe she could figure out a way to move the NEXT outside without touching her. But she found herself frozen in place, utterly unable to move forward. It wasn't Wayne's power this time keeping her locked down. It was her own fear of the outcome of her actions. After all, she'd already fucked up this much.

So as she sat there unable to speak for herself, the two continued on without her.

"What do you know?" Yun screeched, balling his hand into a fist and threatening to strike Barnaby back. "She abandoned me when I was suffering! She knew full well just how crippling my depression was, and she actually _got mad at me for it_ and tried to leave me! I have right to be mad at her in return! Because love revolves around equality, doesn't it?" The last sentence seemed to come out in a bit of a sob, causing Kaede to hang her head in utter shame, knowing she was the reason for the pain in his voice.

"Then where was that equality when Kaede was too afraid to be open with you?" Barnaby tightened his fists, "You constantly threatened to kill yourself if she ever left, and that'd give anyone reason to feel too powerless to get out. You forced her to stay. That doesn't sound very fair or equal to me. She's only a human being, and she had a right to take care of herself. She can't be your cure-all. She isn't obligated to take care of you, and the truth is, she doesn't want to anymore. She's through."

"Like you know how she feels!" Yun took Kaede's hands into his, looking her in the eye pleadingly, "Kaede, he's lying isn't he? I mean, you called the cops to look out for me, right? Don't you still care about me, at least a little?" Barnaby looked to his stepdaughter with concern, but she didn't bother to meet his gaze. Kaede closed her eyes, and sighed.

"Yeah… I do. And that's also the reason… I never blocked your number. I wanted to be sure that you were okay…" She rose, then pushing his hands away, "But Barnaby's right. I am done with you, Yun. I'm done with all of this! I'm not the center of your universe, or your other half. I am just one person. No one's puzzle piece. And so are you." She placed her hands on his shoulders, "I know this may be hard to believe, but you're complete without me. You can move forward without me. But first… you need to let me go." At this Yun sighed, shaking his head.

"How can you expect me to let you go so easily? You were my first love. I can't just let the story end on that page."

"It didn't." She asserted, "Because you're alive aren't you?"

"Kaede…"

"Yun, you can't go on treating this whole thing like we're star-crossed characters in a comic book. This is reality. Whether anyone likes it or not, life goes on. And though it may seem cute and admirable to hold onto the past like that in fiction…" She glanced over to Barnaby for a fleeting moment, "it can cause needless pain in the real world. And I don't know about you, but there's nothing romantic about being held hostage by a fetishistic bastard. Do you really believe there's love in something as fucked up as this?"

"N…No. I guess not."

"…Why are you helping him anyway?"

"I…" Yun gave up a noise of frustration, "He looked after me yesterday. I got into a bad scuffle, a knife fight, and he broke it up. I could've died back there, but thanks to him, I didn't. So I asked what I could do to repay him, and he told me to get in his car. We had a long chat and wound up here, and he told me I could have any of the money lying around. I didn't know what to say. I knew it was fucked up once he explained what he wanted to do, but… how the hell could I refuse a guy who saved my life?" He lifted his head high, "Fuck, I _know_ this is wrong. But I don't know what to do." He furrowed his brows at Barnaby, "Wayne's not going to be happy when he finds out his cousin is passed out on the concrete."

"We can still turn this around, Yun. You just need to tell us what you know, and quick." Kaede asked, "Like, what's his power? Do you know?"

"He… does some sort of mind controlling thing, I think. That's how he got Evie to get in the car with him. She didn't want to come along with him, but then she suddenly just climbed in while she was protesting. She was complaining a whole lot on the way here, and then the next second, he glows blue and Evie just shuts up. She looked like she was in a daze or something when he got her to stand guard at the door."

"Huh. Well, earlier, I couldn't move my arms or legs at all, so I'm assuming that he can control more than one person at a time." Kaede looked up, asking around the room, "Can any of you move your arms or legs?" A mixture of voices filled the air with negative replies, as well as several visible shakes of the head. The blonde woman who rifled through her pocket earlier then raised one of the clearest replies in the room.

"I felt the switch. I didn't put my hands up by choice, he made me raise them."

Yun sighed hopelessly, "You don't say…"

"It's alright, we'll pull through." Kaede reassured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Like I said, we can still turn this around. We just need to act fast."

"Now, hang on a second!" Ivan chimed in, all eyes snapping to him. "I wouldn't move too fast here. Listen everyone, I'm an armed cop, and I'm next in line. If I can get the captor alone, I'll be able to apprehend him, so we should all just wait for him to come back outside."

"Were you _not_ listening?" Yun groaned, rolling his eyes, "He can still control your movements. Just because you're alone with him doesn't mean he's going to let you move of your own accord."

"Actually," A girl from one end of the line chimed in, "I felt him let me go when he tried to kiss me because he liked what I was saying, so he's really not that careful. If you play your cards right, you might be able to use that."

Yun stared back stubbornly, "And leave things to chance? Just because you got lucky doesn't mean he'll let her move too!"

"Listen, wise guy, we don't have time for this!" The girl retorted, hands on her hips. "He'll be out here any second and we're out of options, so just let the cop handle it!" Yun looked to the side in embarrassment, Kaede looking to him in concern. She couldn't help but feel he did have a point though. Leaving things to chance in a situation like this could be pretty reckless, and it might put the hostages in even more danger if things don't work out.

"If it can be of any use… he doesn't know I'm here." Barnaby offered, Kaede looking to him in with uncertainty as to where this was going. The fact that Wayne didn't know Barnaby was here could be a great thing to use to their advantage… but his powers were gone, and they wouldn't be coming back until the next hour. And he wanted to volunteer to do what exactly, attack Wayne regardless?

A barrage of negative thoughts began rushing through her head at that realization, trying to shake away the idea of watching Barnaby beaten to a pulp in front of her while she'd been immobilized. No, she couldn't let that happen. That was just too much.

"Barnaby…" She choked out, the name coming out like a protest, a warning, as if to tell him not to even dare consider putting himself in danger.

Snapping his eyes towards her, he replied, "Trust me, Kaede. Please. We don't have time." Casting his sights back towards the others, he announced, "Here's a plan. We let the cop go to the captor and watch carefully for any reactions to the girl outside. If he is using mind control, he's likely already noticed, but the only reason he isn't out just yet is because his ego tells him he can wrap things up with the last girl. So, if he decides his cousin is nothing to worry about, then the cop handles it. But, as it's likely, if he decides he needs to do something about his cousin, Kaede can take him by surprise." She could only blink at this. "She'll pretend to be passed out to distract him from his cousin. Yun can say she was getting to be a handful. So when he expects it least, she'll jump up and strike him, using her powers to subdue him to a more manageable state. Then I will be outside waiting for someone's signal to move in with reinforcements. And if the fight lasts longer than expected, I'll intervene if given enough time for my powers to come back up."

Yun set his eyes on Kaede, asking her gently, "You think you can handle that?"

She couldn't help but shake, nervous. The sake of so many people's safety was now resting in her hands, but all she could think of was the possibility of making contact with Wayne by mistake, losing her dad's power. It made her feel like shit, like a selfish brat who couldn't push her feelings aside even if doing so would take the burden off everyone, including herself. But, still she found the will to take up her staff once more with trembling hands, refusing to disappoint herself again. Here, she wanted to be someone her late father would have continued to be proud of, someone who would gladly protect the peace no matter the damages she'd have to pay for later on.

_I don't want you to continue carrying your past like that if it'll only be a burden on you._

It was still a burden she was willing to carry if she could. But if carrying the weight of the present meant letting go of the past, then so be it. She was prepared to do that for the sake of every hostage in the salon. She could take the pain of losing her precious remnants of the dead if it meant the living could stay living. Because she was a woman of justice, as she'd told Barnaby. And life would go on, as she'd told Yun. She'd own up to her words with dignity, carrying her honor like a spear in her side if that's what it meant to find some semblance of peace with herself, if that's what it meant to gain balance, and for once not feel so torn between holding on and letting go.

"I can." She barely managed, settling back onto the ground until she laid herself there, staff concealed and digging into her side. "Now go, Barnaby." With only a nod, he fled, eyes lingering on her for a split moment before he had turned completely towards the door, no longer looking back.

And it was that moment that Wayne burst out of the bathroom, pushing the recent girl to the side.

"Alright, who was fucking around with Ev—eh?" His eyes flickered to Kaede on the floor, unconscious, before flickering towards Yun. Wayne's eyebrows knit together in disdain and confusion. "The fuck is your broad doing on the floor, man? Don't tell me you mugged her for the money?"

"Absolutely not!" Yun grunted defensively, softening his tone as he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. "She was… just getting to be a handful. I mean—"

"Son of a _bitch,_" Wayne muttered, voice rising in anger with each syllable, gripping him by the collar on the last word. Yun gave a whimper, hands up, but Wayne ranted on, angry, "Fuck you. That was a perfectly sexy, feisty brunette you had there and _you knocked her onto the floor_? Dammit! I wanted a shot at her if you weren't actually interested! Can't talk to her now that she's unconscious!" With this, Wayne just about dropped the poor guy on the floor, Yun yelping in pain. At the sound, Kaede twitched involuntarily and bit back a noise of concern. The silence tensed her up and she was hoping like hell that Wayne hadn't seen through their little ploy. She couldn't give herself away just yet. Now was not the time to strike. Finally, Wayne spat. "You dumb _fuck_. Fine then. Onto the next girl, I guess."

Kaede listened carefully to the sound of footsteps as they trailed away. But from what she could tell, the distance he was covering was most certainly not towards Ivan, who was certainly much closer than twelve, thirteen, fourteen and counting steps.

He was headed for the door.

"But first, to take care of Evie."

Kaede could not have picked a better time to power up and leap from the floor into action, staff clutched in her fists like a two-handed sword. With all her might, she jumped forward faster than Wayne could even think to stop her. And when it sunk in just a split second to seize her limbs with his powers, it was already too late as she swung downward onto his skull with a mighty, furious roar.

She did not stop there, hitting him again and again, giving up violent grunts and yells with each blow she dealt in her rage towards Wayne. There was no trace of regret even as the bruises formed and the blood trickled from his mouth, not even as he pleaded for her to stop. No, how dare he ask that, ask for _mercy_, after holding all these people at gunpoint, and treating these women—including herself—as though they were merely dating dolls at his disposal. She wasn't sorry for this, not one bit, not when he was clearly a villain. She wasn't sorry for dishing out what she knew to be justice!

At last, she dropped the staff at her side, heaving, looking down at the blood on her hands.

"…Fuck." Kaede exhaled, her heart sinking with the dread that she might have killed him. But thankfully, the twitch of his arm and soft cough barely in his throat reassured her that she had not. It didn't make the thought any less scary though… the fact that she'd nearly killed someone in the midst of her rage. She continued to stare down at her hands. Did that… make her no better than Lunatic?

Suddenly, the world was a spinning blur and she felt herself beginning to fall.

Shifting from his disguise, Ivan rushed to her side, "Kaede!"

She hit the ground with no one to catch her, and as the world went black, she could've sworn she heard her dad call out for her too.

* * *

_Kaede found herself standing at the side of someone's hospital bed again, tears falling down her face as she gripped his hand harshly, as if that would stop him from drifting away from the temporal world._

_ "I'm not… l-losing you too." Her voice came out strangled in sobs, "You're—y-you have to be alright, ok-okay? Promise me… you'll be alright!"_

_ He sighed, a sad smile on his lips, "I won't make a promise I can't keep. Kaede, you heard what the doctor said."_

_ "So you're just… going to give up, just like that? You won't try to fight it at all?"_

"_There are some battles we just aren't meant to win," He replied simply, his pale hand giving hers a soft squeeze. "Rabbits belong underground anyhow." With that, she could only shake her head, her own grip tightening on him._

"_Please don't leave me behind, Barnaby…" She croaked out, voice hoarse. "I don't want to be alone. What happened to family has to stick together?" _

"_Kaede…"_

_But with this, he closed his eyes, and the heart monitor line went flat. And Kaede could feel her heart splitting open. This couldn't be happening._

"NO!" Kaede howled, jolting awake, pulse pounding in her chest. Barnaby put his hands up, holding back from reaching towards her.

"Kaede, it's alright. Just lie back," His voice was soft with concern. "Please, calm down. We're all safe now."

She looked around the room, now seeing that she was in the exact opposite position of where she was in her nightmare. Not only that, she noticed Ivan in the background, texting on his phone in the corner.

"What…" She let her head fall back against the pillow, dazed and dumbfounded. "am I doing in the hospital?"

"After incapacitating Wayne, you passed out, so Ivan and I brought you here." Barnaby quickly tacked on before she could panic, "And don't worry, neither of us actually touched you, and I made absolutely sure that none of the paramedics who made contact with you were NEXTs. Kotetsu's power should still be perfectly intact." She could only blink, barely processing what that meant. Then it occurred to her just how ready she was to give up that power for the hostages. Nevertheless, she was glad and immensely relieved that she didn't have to. Even if she was willing at the time, she still wasn't quite ready to part with what was left of her dad. And she knew she never really would be anyway.

"Thanks…" Kaede gave a weak smile, before making another realization, "Hey, you guys were still able to apprehend Wayne, right?"

"But of course. He is completely unconscious right now though, and he's being treated for his injuries. He'll be arrested and tried after he's received adequate care. You sure did a number on him."

"So if anyone asks," Ivan chimed in helpfully, "plead that you were in fear for your life."

"Well, he did have a gun…" Kaede laughed weakly, "Anyhow, you don't need to advise me on legal matters, Ivan. I think I know right well how to handle them after all those years of study."

"Oh, right! Barnaby mentioned you were a private investigator." Letting that sink in for a second, she had half a mind to glare at Barnaby, considering she had made the issue of privacy clear. Then again, how could she distrust the man who made sure to preserve her power while she was unconscious?

With a slight sigh, she then replied, "And I'm going to trust that's _all_ he told you."

"Your trust was well-placed," Barnaby affirmed.

She waved, "Already thought so."

And with that, the faintest smile of relief crossed his wrinkling features. Kaede couldn't help but swallow back a noise at the sight, wondering just when he'd ever started to look so old to her. Snapping her away from her head just before she could even begin thinking about her previous nightmare, he said, "Anyhow, the doctor said nothing was particularly wrong, that you simply passed out from the stress of the situation. So now that you're awake, we're cleared to go home. Unless you'd like to rest the night at the hospital."

Kaede looked at the clock, noting the late hour. It would've been easier to just lean back sleep the night away here, and then call Barnaby to pick her up in the morning. But honestly, given the fact that both her mother and father died in a hospital, sleeping the night here definitely didn't match her idea of comfortable.

"Home sounds good."


	10. Always Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to make people cry today. I've actually been waiting a long time to write this chapter. I've had the last scene in my head since the outlining stage, so pardon me if it's a little over dramatic for your tastes. I get a lot of family feels from this fic, and next chapter isn't gong to be any gentler about those feels either. Lastly, mind the tags, because I'm not sure where triggers fall for certain readers.
> 
> Enjoy this new, long-ass upload, you beautiful potatoes.
> 
> -Reddie

Even under the dim streetlight, it was plain as day to see how exhausted they both were.

The whole situation drained them of every kind of energy, and neither wanted to strain the other any further. So with Barnaby struggling to keep his eyes open on the way back to Kaede's end of town, she suggested they perhaps should just pull over and stay the closest hotel for the night. Frankly, Barnaby was too tired to object, and he knew he could easily afford a night at any hotel on the Gold Stage in Sternbild, let alone in Century City.

So they pulled over at the closest hotel in sight, a historic-looking inn with the kind of architecture that boasted some of the past culture behind what made Century City the place it was today. No doubt, the northern city was not as populated by tourists as Sternbild, but it did garner the attention of travelers from within the state, namely those who were just passing through on the way south. Barnaby and Kaede were among them, even if they were merely bound south on a short journey towards her flat. The inn was only a stopover, a pause in the midst of a short, evanescent trip.

As she stepped out of the car, a flash of her nightmare passed through her head, suddenly and overwhelmingly finding herself incredibly unreceptive to the thought of parting with him for the night.

Barnaby reached out for a moment to set a hand on her shoulder, be a comforting weight to ground her while she was drifting away to somewhere unpleasant, but then he remembered himself and merely called her name.

"Kaede, come on. This way."

"Mm."

* * *

Honestly, Kaede barely felt like she was alive right now, her thoughts scattering about like she was floating through empty space. A number of people began crossing her mind, Yun coming back up to the forefront. Her first instinct was to check her phone, finding only one unread text from him. Out of both curiosity and concern, she checked to see exactly what he'd said, unlocking the screen with the swipe of her hand. Taking in a short breath, she then opened up the text to see what he'd said.

_Kaede, sorry I didn't visit you at the hospital. I was actually headed on the way there after the incident, but… I thought about what you said, about wanting me to live my own life, wanting me to move forward. And I knew seeing you would just make it harder for me to let go. Still, it just wasn't going to feel right without saying goodbye first. So… this is goodbye, for good. And no, please don't worry about me when I say this is the end. I'm just deleting your number, and you'll never hear from me again. Honestly though, I don't think I actually could kill myself even if I tried. Too scary for a guy like me. I have too much hope for things to get better, you know? Thank you so much for caring all these years. And best wishes for you, Kaede._

"_Best wishes to you too, Yun."_ She replied at last and for the last time ever before tucking away her phone and deleting his number as well. It left her feeling a little hollow inside, but there wasn't any use in looking back on his account anymore. It would be a useless worry gnawing at her side, something far beyond her control, and she knew that sort of thing was something neither of them wanted for Kaede to keep carrying. If Yun was going to move forward without her, Kaede would have to trust herself to do the same for him. She'd have to take his word for it. He could get over her, and she could let go of him. They wouldn't weigh each other down anymore. They could live their lives separately at last, and it was that thought that brought the peace of relief and freedom to wash over the dull ache of emptiness.

Before she knew it, she found herself in an elevator alone with Barnaby.

"Be honest." He began, leaning against a rail on the wall opposite from her, "Are you alright?"

She paused, before bringing herself to say, "I don't know. But thank you for asking, Barnaby."

As she sank out of her current reality, she suddenly found herself enveloped in orange light for a split second, and back in the hallway, alone. She looked around nervously, wondering what was going on, until a voice anchored her back down.

"Kaede!" Barnaby cried out, and when she blinked, there she was again in the elevator with Barnaby. Her pulse thudded anxiously, eyes widening at the inconsistency that had just occurred. "Whoa. What just happened there?"

"I-I don't… know… what just…" She gripped the rail behind her, needing something solid to reassure her she was still there, still standing in the elevator in real life. Then, as the doors opened up, she let go of the railing and counted her fingers. Barnaby glanced back at her in concern, but she was too fixated on making sure there were five of them on each hand, proof that this was the waking world. Didn't this happen before, back in Dr. Page's house for that split moment at the doorway? And if that was the case, then why was this happening again now?

* * *

As Barnaby swiped the keycard through their door open, he made a little gasp when he thought he figured out what was going on.

"What is it?"

"Wait. Don't be alarmed, but… I need you to power up, just in case something went wrong."

"Okay," She said as evenly as possible, illuminating herself in the blue light she'd known so well over the years. And nothing had changed. It was still the Hundred Power, as she had been half expecting. She tapped the wall gently just to be certain, resulting in a noise that she feared would've woken up the whole floor. And though it brought her relief to confirm that she indeed still held her father's power, that didn't explain what happened back in the elevator.

"Alright then, I guess I was wrong. Sorry about that."

"Don't be, it's fine."

With that, she pushed past the door, holding it open for him so he could come into the room as well. Upon entering, two queen-sized beds presented themselves to the guests. Kaede then carefully set herself down on the bed closest to the window, blearily staring back down at her blue glowing hands. The rush of the beating flashed through her head, making her dizzy and sick with all the things it entailed of her character. Without the Hundred Power, hitting Wayne with a stick wouldn't have been much use at all. But the fact that she kept going, without any bit of mercy towards him, while using the power… frightened her so much. These were hands that nearly killed a man today. Well, he was a criminal, and honestly just scum as a person but… he was indeed still a person, at least in Kaede's eyes. She could've killed him… and, in the moment, she probably wouldn't have regretted it at all.

That was truly beyond horrifying: to have that sort of evil hiding somewhere deep inside of her, waiting for an opportunity to pounce. Nothing would ever make murder right for Kaede though. Life was too fragile a thing to tamper with, and she really didn't see herself as someone with a right to take it from any individual, whether they were humans or monsters. But the moment told her that relentlessness was justice, and she certainly wished that she never actually believed that for even one second. Unfortunately, wishing didn't change the fact that she did.

"Kaede?"

She looked up, "Yeah?"

"Nothing. Just… it happened while you were zoned out, so…"

"Right." She paused for a moment, unsure of whether or not to confide her worries in Barnaby, until she at last gave a tentative exhale, "I… lost my grip back there."

"Hm?"

"When I was hitting Wayne… I-I…" Her voice quavered, "If it turns out… that Dr. Page did… then I'm not sure I could…"

Fuck, what was even coming out of her mouth? Her words were all over the place, like her head, so how the hell was Barnaby supposed to follow along?

"That certainly sounds like a problem." Barnaby shook his head lightly, sitting across from her. "But I believe in you, Kaede. Even if it does turn out for the worst, I still have faith that you'll be able to control yourself in that situation." Finally, the words in her head turned coherent, and they fell from her tongue just as clearly.

"How can you trust me…" she hung her head in shame, "when I'm not so sure I can even trust myself?"

"Because if I've learned anything about you during this case, it's that you're much stronger than you think you are."

"Pff."

"I mean it, Kaede. What you did back there took a lot of bravery."

"That was violence, not bravery." She dismissed, bitter over succumbing to her own personal demons.

"I'm not talking about the fact that you beat Wayne." Barnaby explained, Kaede looking back at him in confusion, "I'm talking about the fact that I saw fear in your eyes when I explained my plan. I'm talking about the fact that you took up your staff while shaking over the thought of possibly losing Kotetsu's power to him. The fact that you said you could handle it even though your whole expression was screaming that you weren't certain. That was bravery, Kaede. And if you could fight your fear like that, I think you have the power to rise above anything you think might be holding you back."

"Mm." She hummed disbelievingly. At that point, he didn't know what else to say to her. With a tired huff, Barnaby shucked off his jacket, before falling backwards against his bed. He closed his eyes, consciousness melting away under the spell of fatigue.

Then a grumble sliced through the silence, nudging Barnaby away from rest.

He sat up to the sight of Kaede holding her stomach in surprise. When she thought about it, neither of them had eaten dinner at all, and Kaede hadn't even had lunch either for that matter.

He chimed in, "Are you hungry?"

"Um…" And with that, he laid himself back down.

"Feel free to order from room service. I'll pay for it."

"Then I'll chip in."

"You don't have to. It's fine." He shifted a little bit, curling onto his side to grab his jacket, "I'm kind of hungry too." And as he rifled through his pockets for some unit of payment, Kotetsu's phone fell out onto the floor between the beds. Kaede blinked at the sight of it, frozen up. That's right, it was by some miracle that Barnaby picked up that phone to answer the call she thought would doom her.

"Say… where did you even find Dad's phone? I thought it got thrown out."

"…Kotetsu left me a box filled with some of his old possessions for some reason. And, well, recently, I decided to go through it and I found his phone in there…" Barnaby trailed off. She couldn't help but find that strange though. All things considered, the phone likely needed charging after years of sitting in a box unused. So it was no lucky coincidence that he happened upon the phone when she called. He had obviously been charging it, and planning to look through it, if he hadn't already. Just what was he doing that for?

Kaede pressed, genuinely curious as to how that unfolded, "Alright then… why were you on his phone when I called it?"

"There was something I needed to see." He shifted to sit up, body facing her, "Related to the investigation."

"Huh?"

"Listen, Kaede. When you said you were taking a break from the case, I thought maybe I could help by doing some research of my own. To help move things along. You did ask for my help after all and, well, I do have quite a bit of experience with digging up information."

"How exactly did that lead you to my Dad's phone then?"

"You see, in my search, I came across a number of recorded journal entries online from terminal patients under Dr. Page's care. And that led me to wonder if Kotetsu had recorded anything like that before he died." He folded his hands in lap, "I wanted to be able to reassure you that this case wasn't personal. Not because I didn't trust you, but because the possibility of Dr. Page having murdered him seemed to be weighing you down. I just… I didn't want you to worry about it next time you saw her. Because then you'd know the truth."

"So, does that mean you already…?"

"You called before I could go through the phone, so no. We can watch whatever Kotetsu put on here together, if there even is anything."

"Alright." Kaede stood up, making her way towards the TV to take up the menu propped next to it, "but first, food."

"Right." He stood up as well, making his way to the bathroom, "You take care of that. I'll be back in just a moment."

Her eyes drifted over the lines of the menu, catching on a particularly interesting item.

* * *

Barnaby looked back at his reflection, willing the ghost at his side to leave him.

_Kotetsu's lips skated over his cheek, murmuring sweetly, "I could never have asked for a better partner."_

"He's not here anymore." Barnaby told himself aloud, closing his eyes. "He's gone, and he's not coming back."

It was a little disheartening to have to say it out loud, as if to admit there was no such thing as the forever that Kotetsu had made him believe in. But it was something Barnaby needed to hear if the hallucinations were coming back, something to drag him back down to reality while his past played out around him.

It wasn't as though this was a foreign occurrence. During his childhood, he'd had hallucinations of his mother and father calling out to him, and he nearly would have forgotten all of that thanks to Maverick. The power of memory manipulation had once wiped those experiences clean, but now that he was older and his mind more settled, he was less susceptible to the false implantations in his head. With enough inconsistencies to disprove fallacies and the grounding strength of his emotional attachments to his real memories, he found himself able to overcome Maverick's mental tampering.

Unfortunately, he still couldn't erase the after effects, especially after having been subject to the power for years. The hallucinations came to him as a sort of way to remind him of what had actually happened, a desperate attempt of his mind to cut through the lies and reveal the truth. It did more to hurt than help, blurring the line between reality and memory. But with time, he learned how to distinguish past from present, phantom from physical. And when it happened, he could tell himself it wasn't real and fully believe that statement. But that didn't stop him from clearly feeling the sensation of those lips against his cheek, the warmth of Kotetsu's breath, the faint thump of his heartbeat against Barnaby's back as the older man embraced him.

And when Barnaby opened his eyes, it was all gone.

He gave up a sigh. Sometime soon, he'd likely have to tell Kaede about the hallucinations now that they were reappearing, but that was another conversation for another time. He looked down at his wedding ring, feeling guilty for hiding something like this from her and doing the very thing he wished Kotetsu hadn't done to him. But he understood now, why Kotetsu had done it, putting off confessions of this nature. It was all a matter of timing… and Kotetsu's timing was terrible.

Barnaby didn't quite know whether to laugh or sigh again. All that time spent at his side, and of course Kotetsu was going to leave such a deep imprint on his personality. It was like he'd found a way to become a part of Barnaby. It was almost like he'd never really left Barnaby at all. So maybe… there could be such a thing as their forever, in some sense at least.

"_How can you expect me to let you go so easily? You were my first love. I can't just let the story end on that page."_

Barnaby remembered curling his fist to feel his wedding ring when he'd heard that statement out of Yun's mouth. It brought back the memory of that sleepy drunken night he'd spent with Kotetsu at his side, when the older man had gone on about describing his marriage to Tomoe upon Barnaby's whim. Because, after Kotetsu had died, it really did feel like the road trip had come to an end.

"_It didn't." She asserted, "Because you're alive aren't you?" _

Kaede's reply reverberated through him, reminding him of the sound of his own heartbeat. That sound wasn't going to last forever either, so the fact that it was still going had to mean something. Only way to find out just exactly what it meant was to keep going. And so as long as Barnaby still had so many miles of road left ahead of him, he would keep going, for his own sake if no one else's.

"Hey, Barnaby?" Kaede called from outside, "I ordered dinner already, and it should be up in a few moments. So come out whenever you're done."

He couldn't help the smile on his face as he turned away from the mirror. Kaede was on his side in the present, for real. She existed now, and she needed his support just as much as he would admit he needed hers as well. And with no way to turn the hands of the clock backwards, there was no direction to move except forward, carrying on further down the road.

"Coming, Kaede."

He'd said it himself, that he didn't want to waste whatever was left of his time.

* * *

"So, what did you order?" Barnaby inquired, tapping the phone screen awake, carefully not to scratch his fingers along the cracks on the screen.

She only replied cheekily, "It's a surprise. And don't worry, I'm sure you'll love it!"

"Hmph. If you say so." He shrugged, the faintest smile gracing his lips.

The two of them stared down at the small screen together, coming across five unnamed video recordings. All of the thumbnails showed Kotetsu's face, the crisp white cushion of a hospital pillow against his back.

Barnaby blinked, "So he did record something after all."

"Well, let's see it," Kaede leaned carefully over his shoulder to peer down at the cracked screen.

Selecting the first entry, he hit the play button.

"_Hey, Kotetsu T. Kaburagi here. The time is currently 11:33 AM EST, March 2, NC 2000," He began wearily. _

"So this was recorded not too long before he died…" Barnaby murmured. Kaede watched his expression carefully, heart welling up with concern. She didn't want to see him cry over this, nor did she want him to see her cry over it either. Hopefully, Kotetsu wasn't going to start out by talking too deeply…

"_So, I was asked to record these by one of my doctors for 'legal reasons'." He made a gesture of scare quotes, then going on to say, "But really, I think Page is just looking for a way to help me kill the time. Well, it's definitely better than sitting around on my ass watching television the whole day. Honestly, the boredom was gonna kill me before my heart could get the job done." Giving up a chuckle, he leaned back, "Anyhow, what am I supposed to say here? I've never recorded anything like this before. Hey! Dr. Page?" _

"_Yes, Kotetsu?" Dr. Page answered in the background, footsteps drawing closer._

"_Is this like… a diary sort of thing?" _

"_For the most part. For the first recording, you should just say anything you think might be important to have on record."_

"_Alright, uh… I think Antonio said he was coming by to visit later? My daughter's name is Kaede Kaburagi. Her mother and my past spouse's name is Tomoe A. Kaburagi. My current spouse's name is—"_

"_I mean whatever isn't already obvious, Kotetsu. I'm pretty sure we have your family contact information on record should anything happen to you."_

"_Right, right, my bad." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, before making a face of realization, "Oh, wait! I guess this would be handy to have on record. It turns out I developed a second power!"_

Barnaby and Kaede gasped, "What?"

"_Really now?" Dr. Page herself was astonished at the claim. "What leads you to believe that?"_

"_Well, you see, I'd been having a tough time figuring that out myself, because I wasn't sure how it activated. And I thought it was dementia or something, honestly."_

"_What do you mean by that?"_

"_Well, it activates differently from my last power, which doesn't work anymore, by the way. You see, the way I was used to it, in order to power up, I'd have to put the mental effort into activation. I had to flip the switch on in my head before my body followed along. But this power comes from letting go of my control. It's a bit tricky to activate this one, but I think I can do it right now if I just…" Kotetsu then closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in and out deeply, each breath slower than the last until he began to glow orange. _

_With this, his position then shifted as though by an edited jump-cut, placing him to lie on his side, his back to the wall, where a clock in the corner gave out the time… 11:31 PM._

"No way…" Kaede covered her mouth up, disbelieving her eyes, "so does that mean I…?"

_Then, after about thirty seconds or so, the video did a jump-cut back to his original position: sitting up against the back of the hospital bed. _

"_Huh. That was pretty neat." Dr. Page commented. "So, tell me, what exactly happened there?"_

"_Well, you see, I was thinking about what it meant, but I finally figured it out: what you just witnessed was a form of time travel."_

"_Time travel?" Dr. Page gasped, disbelieving._

"_Yeah! You see, it takes me back to where I was five minutes ago, and I stay there for, what, twenty, thirty seconds before I go back to the present." He laughed, scratching his beard sheepishly, "It's kinda cool, isn't it?"_

"_Well, it only takes you back five minutes."_

"Only_ five? What are you talking about, that's plenty of time!"_

_Dr. Page only gave a small laugh, "It's a shame you have to discover this while bound to a hospital bed."_

"_Agh, tell me about it. Anyway," He directed his attention back to his phone, "I shouldn't let this go on too long, so that's it for now. Until next time!"_

With that, the video ended. The phone then made a beep, the picture onscreen signaling that it was now low on battery. And in a hurry to aid Kaede, Barnaby had left the phone's charger behind. Kaede stared down at her hands, astonished. She had been holding more than she thought she had all this time…

"Well… I guess that explains it." Barnaby sat up, setting the phone to the side.

"Yeah…" Kaede replied, torn between wanting to laugh and cry over the discovery. Did life really have to be that cruel, to show a man nearing the end what the beginnings of something new looked like all over again? And so, is that why fate had given her this power, so that it wouldn't have to die with him? She could carry that power and take the opportunity to learn it and use it to its fullest potential in a way her father never got the chance to. She had the gift of remaining time to do that. But it all came at a price.

And at this point, after nearly losing her own life, she wasn't so sure if the sacrifice was worth the gain: to forever give up the warmth of the present day in order to keep someone else's ghost alive within her. In continuing to carry her past like this… she gave up a big part of her future, gave up human contact with dear friends… and family.

She couldn't help but cast a look back to Barnaby, the thought crossing her mind that she would just stand there doing nothing the next time he broke down in tears, wanting so badly to embrace him and tell him he would be okay, but being too much of a coward to actually do it. And with that, she couldn't help but wonder if there was honestly any point to keeping someone who no longer existed alive in spirit if it meant that the living would have to suffer.

When the knock came at the door, Barnaby stood up to answer it, knowing full well it was room service with their food.

Kaede watched silently as he handled payment before opening up the lid on the tray. A look of pleased surprise crossed his features for just a second, before he smiled warmly at the dish Kaede ordered: cabbage rolls.

"Bring back any memories, Barnaby?" She said softly, as she remembered for herself. A long time ago, while she was still a fawning fan of the Hero who'd saved her life, she had read from an interview that cabbage rolls were one of his favorite foods. And since Anju raised a plethora of beautifully healthy and homegrown cabbages, Kaede thought it'd be a great idea to make some for their first dinner together with Barnaby Brooks-Kaburagi in Oriental Town. It didn't matter that they were sloppily wrapped or if the meat inside just a tiny bit singed as the end result. It was a gesture, a way to make the man feel more at home, let him know that he was truly and indisputably another member of the Kaburagi family. And when he said they were delicious, that was when it started for Kaede, the feeling that he wasn't just her dad's husband anymore, but someone she personally cared about, someone who was really starting to feel like family.

And that dinner was one Barnaby would certainly never forget either.

"_Aw. You didn't have to go to the trouble."_

"_What are you talking about? It wasn't any trouble!" Kaede pointed at him, "You're a part of this family, Barnaby! Never forget that!"_

That was the declaration she had made to him, and he would've cried then and there on the spot if he didn't think it would have somehow ruined the warm, happy atmosphere. To think, after all those wasted years walking around with a heart full of hatred and loneliness, that he belonged to a family again, filled him up with such joy and love that he felt like it was almost all too good to be true.

And now, here Kaede was, digging up one of the happiest moments in Barnaby's life, taking the past and making it a real part of his present, a reminder, yet another memory he would treasure to his dying day. This, too, felt like it was too good to be true. But it was now, and it was happening, and it was _real_.

Barnaby laughed softly, wiping unfallen tears from his eyes, "Kaede, are you trying to make an old man cry?"

"Nope. Just the opposite." She waved, "Besides, you aren't _that_ old, are you?"

With that, they had their fill of food, Kaede sipping the bottle of shochu she'd ordered with the dinner as Barnaby headed to his bed to sleep. And when he dozed off, she watched him for a brief moment, the visible rise and fall of his chest faintly reassuring her that, in the morning, when she woke up, he would wake up too. He was alive. He was breathing. He was still here.

Kaede wasn't really one for praying, but as she settled into her own bed for the night, she found herself muttering to the moon outside her window.

"Please, don't let me lose him too… not yet, not now…"

* * *

_Kaede stood there, dressed in black, as she had been for her mother's funeral, her father's funeral… and now for Barnaby's. _

_ It took everything not to collapse there on the ground, crumbling to her knees the same way her heart felt like it was crumbling behind her ribcage. Hollow, that was the feeling inside her, and she so desperately needed someone to reach out and tell her she would never be alone. _

_ She could turn to Muramasa, like she had when she found out about Anju's condition, but he didn't have much time left himself either. They'd grown apart over the years, unfortunately, and when he had children of his own to look after, what place did she have in demanding any time from him?_

_ So then… was it really her fate to just end up completely alone, exactly as she'd feared?_

_ "Death is just a part of life, sweetie."_

_ And suddenly, Kaede was a child again, looking up at her father through teary eyes as he uttered those words, just as he did when her mother had passed. Except this time, when Kotetsu set his hand down on her shoulder, she couldn't feel its weight. At that realization, he turned into a figure of blue light right before her eyes, before beginning to disintegrate. In vain, she powered up herself and chased after him, wrapping her arms around him tightly when she finally caught up. She clung to him desperately, but he easily slipped right through her grasp, now intangible, stepping back to face her fully._

_ She was an adult once again, now dressed in bright, vibrant blue as she clutched hands she could no longer feel in her physical grasp. _

_ "Don't go." She begged, tears floating away from the corners of her eyes with the world going white around the two of them. _

"_I'm already gone, Kaede." He explained, his voice soft and sympathetic, "Holding onto me won't bring me back."_

"_Listen to Papa, honey," A familiar feminine voice chimed in._

_Kaede turned to the source of the words, "Mom?" The solid, tangible sight of her mother then shifted into something ephemeral as well, her body composed of golden light. Kotetsu joined his wife's side then, taking her hand into his own as they both looked back at their daughter. _

"_Listen to the sound of your heartbeat," The two said together, and instantly, the sound rose in her ears, the steady pulse reverberating through her. "We want you to live, Kaede. Your life belongs to you."_

_And for a brief second, she really felt alive._

_But before she could savor the feeling, they disappeared from sight into some door to the unknown, with Barnaby, now taking shape as a vague form of pink light, tagging right along with them, one hand clasping Tomoe's and the other gripping Kotetsu's. And as the door closed behind them, she didn't feel as alive as she had a second ago. The empty white space remained around her, and her continuing heartbeat became a sickening noise, a reminder of how unfair it was that life could go on while she hurt inside like this, aching from the tremendous losses she didn't think she'd really ever recover from. Even as she lit up with the orange light, they didn't return to her. And here she was, still expected to keep moving forward with no way to turn back._

_Falling to her knees, she barely managed to choke out, "But I'm scared…"_

* * *

Kaede awoke, and her whole body tensed as she let out a gasp. Instantly, she twisted over onto her side to look at the other bed. Relief washed over her at the sight of Barnaby still asleep, and softly snoring at that. He wasn't actually dead. It was all just a bad dream.

With a faint sigh, she murmured, "Here's to the hope that you're having better dreams than I am so far…"

On that note, she stirred from her bed and stood up, heading out to the balcony. She closed the glass sliding door halfway behind her, not wanting to wake Barnaby with the noise, but a nighttime breeze fluttered through on the curtains as she slipped outside. Against her knowledge, the chill was just enough to rouse Barnaby from slumber. And with the same brand of concern she had held for him, just a moment ago, he turned over on his side to check on her as well.

Alarmed at her absence, he sat up and hoarsely got out, "Kaede?" Grabbing his glasses from the nightstand, he got out of bed and peered around, a blue-glowing figure meeting his sight from behind a curtain lifted by the wind. Relief eased a sigh out of his aging chest, his heartrate slowing back to a normal pace. Thank goodness… his stepdaughter was still okay.

Kaede leaned over the balcony railing, eyes closed to the sight of Century City below her. She wasn't missing any grand sight: just a few intermittent cars skirting down the main street and the plaza across it lined with the window lights of closed shops and stores. With the Hundred Power, she could hear so much around her, despite the lifelessness of the night. Crickets chirped their forecasts of tomorrow's temperature, someone honked at a drunken straggler not using the crosswalk, and careful footsteps on carpet traced their way towards her. With the knowledge that Barnaby was awake, she opened her eyes and turned towards him.

"Sorry for waking you up." She murmured, a softness edging the brows of her radiant eyes.

He dismissed, joining her side at a safe distance, "It's fine. I was having a nightmare anyhow."

"Were you?"

"Yeah." He paused, not wanting to just unload it on her.

"You can tell me…"

"…I dreamed that… my parents were killed again. I saw Maverick's face clearly this time too. That doesn't always happen."

"Oh…" Kaede looked to the empty pavement far below her. "It still weighs on you, huh?"

"Yeah… but that figures. Of course I'm not over it. It hurts less than it did years ago… but I don't think most people ever really get over the death of their parents, regardless of whether they saw it coming or not."

Kaede couldn't have heard any truer statement. Otherwise, what was she doing, standing there all powered up with no need to use it?

"Mm."

"…Did something happen? Is that why you're…" He trailed off, but Kaede could only breathe out a sigh, looking to him with weary eyes.

"I had a nightmare too."

"What… was it?"

"You died. And I saw Dad's ghost, and Mom's, and they said… to listen to my heartbeat. They said… they wanted me to live. And then… I watched them leave, out a door, and you… you followed them. Then I was all alone. And… I was scared." On that note, the Hundred Power faded away, and she struggled not to cry at the thought of her nightmare still fresh in her mind.

"Scared of what?"

"Of being left alone." She confessed, "That's why I powered up, Barnaby. Whenever I feel alone, I… power up to remind myself that this part of him will always be with me. And that's why I'm so scared to lose it. It's the only thing I have left of him… but it's just so… _childish_!" She stomped her foot down, and the tears couldn't help but fall at that point. "Because holding onto his Hundred Power, even that good-for-nothing time travelling power that only go back five lousy minutes, there's no point! None of it will actually bring him back!"

"Kaede…" He reached out for her, to place a hand on her shoulder, embrace her, to tell her she'd be alright… but he remembered himself at the last moment and pulled his hand away. A feeling of guilt then sank into him at the way she froze.

Finally, as her shoulders eased, she muttered, "It's fine. Just… you may as well."

"No, Kaede, I'm sorry." He exhaled, "Look, it's not… childish of you to want to hold onto your father's power. If this is the best way you have of keeping him close to your heart… then it's okay." He curled his left fist loosely to feel his wedding band, "I still have the toy robot my parents gave me for my fourth birthday, and to this day, it still sits in my apartment. So… treasure the things your parents leave you with."

"Barnaby, I…" She stepped forward, towards him, leading him to step back. But at this, she merely shook her head, and opened up her arms to him.

Hesitantly, he replied, "I won't take his place." And at that point, it didn't matter to her anymore, not when Barnaby was alive now and he was someone to be treasured too. So, taking Barnaby by surprise, she took a deep breath and rushed into him, embracing him tightly.

"You aren't," She reassured.

And he could do nothing but return the embrace with tears starting to roll down his cheeks too.


	11. Every Doubt Extinguished

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's long too. Well, have fun as I find new ways to make you all cry! .O.
> 
> -Reddie

A few days passed, and after she wrapped up all the legal loose ends with the hostage situation, Kaede returned to the course of her investigation. Barnaby stood close by as well, but at that point, there was little he could do to aid her as she waited on her clients' information to be sent in. Most days as of late, he merely drove her to her office and back home. He didn't sleep in Sternbild anymore after that point, and Kaede honestly didn't mind at all. In fact, with this, she started having thoughts about buying a new couch, one with a foldout bed. Or, if he was comfortable enough, she could just buy another mattress for her own room. She had already noted even twenty years ago while sharing the same bed as his late spouse, he still very much liked his space. And even though she'd already given up Kotetsu's power, she still found herself holding hesitance to share space with him. It would take more than one embrace to undo it, take time for her to unlearn the fear that kept her from falling apart over grief for the past year.

In the meantime, they also staggered Kotetsu's recordings. An odd reluctance towards watching them all at once hung about the air, and they had come to the tacit mutual agreement to watch only one per day after work until there were none left to watch. That week had them tense with anticipation, and Barnaby found himself seeking Anya's company whenever the time drew near for him to pick up Kaede from work. He never thought a cat could be so calming and provide so much support without ever saying a word. And that was perfectly fine with Barnaby, because it helped to have Anya, with open ears and an open kitty heart, there just to listen to him talk about memories of Kotetsu as they came to mind before he had to face another reveal about his dead beloved. It frightened him ever so slightly to have his idea of who Kotetsu was change after the videos. He wanted the man to remain in his memories as he currently was, but... after Maverick, he never wanted to go back to believing falsities as his reality of the past. It was better to know the truth, even if it shattered everything he thought he knew about his partner.

So the first night after work, they watched the next video talking about Kotetsu's thoughts on family. Apparently, his reasoning behind leaving the phone to Barnaby was yet another reassurance, a final declaration by Kotetsu even in death that Barnaby was a part of the Kaburagi family.

_"Call me sappy or sentimental, but you gotta appreciate the symbolism, Bunny. This phone holds snapshots of the moments and people I hold near and dear to my heart. And they're more than just pictures: they're my life."_

Kaede could feel Barnaby trembling beside her with unshed tears forming behind his glasses, which prompted her to place a hand over his, albeit with a little uncertainty in her movements, since she still wasn't quite used to initiating contact after so long.

_"My mother held my life in her arms the day she gave birth to me. My brother has carried me as a kid too, throughout the years. And even Kaede, the day she was born, she held my life in her tiny little hands and never let go. So now, I'm asking you to hold my life too. You already know I trust you with it, seeing that you saved it on more than one occasion. But this is a little bit more. Maybe it's just a reminder to you at most, but… it's the other half of it to me. I shared how many ever years I had left to give you when I asked for your hand. So now, here. For the parts before we met. When I die, I'm filling in Tomoe on everything so she gets the half of my life she missed. So it's only fair you get the same thing. Share the rest of my life with me, even after I'm gone. So, when you find someone new to love, you don't have to forget. You showed me I didn't have to forget her, and I'm grateful for that, the fact that you showed me a new beginning without bringing something else to an end. Thank you, Bunny, for loving me all the same." _

And as he crumbled, Barnaby squeezed her hand back, welcoming her support as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

* * *

The second video had Kotetsu recounting one hundred of his favorite moments of his life. He listed them off intermittently, some without pausing to really think about while others he lingered on as he recalled each event. It left Kaede and Barnaby in a much lighter mood than the last one, and one of them had drifted off to slumber that night quite easily because of it.

The events from earlier in the day swam about through Kaede's head just before the day's consciousness slipped away from her. At first, she didn't think much of it, having initially deemed the incident as "simply business", but for some reason, it was returning to her now, just vaguely related to something her father had spouted off about the first time Antonio had ever texted him as a friend, worried because he hadn't heard from Kotetsu for a couple of weeks.

She had received a tentative call from Edmond Shale-Banks that day, asking about her progress on his case.

With everything that had been going on lately, her head had found it quite easy to misplace when exactly she'd informed the man that she would take on his case. She knew she did at some point, but it was lost in the blur of the whole investigation. Likely, it happened sometime before Barnaby had left to go talk to Nathan, she supposed, but it seemed awfully beside the point. There wasn't anything that Edmond had said that stuck to her in particular, just the fact he called was enough to linger on her mind. She didn't even pick up when she heard it, just listened to his voicemail and felt bad that she hadn't been devoting enough attention to finding information about Sharon Shale in particular. For the most part, she'd directed so much of her attention to Dr. Page. And it was reasonable, she supposed, given the intersection of the three cases, but… she had to admit, she had lost track in forgetting to even think of Sharon's death. For that case, Kaede's main objective was to look into the young girl's death, and Dr. Page was simply a mere detail in the bigger picture. And with the way she'd gotten so worked up over the doctor… no wonder Barnaby had felt so compelled to chase Kaede down as she left his apartment. He already saw it coming, recognized the potential for her descent from fixation into obsession, and wanted to keep her from having to deal with the pain of diving too deep.

It soothed her to know that he was on her side, and she drifted off easily with the decision that, if she ever had to meet with Dr. Page ever again, then she'd have Barnaby at her side to help her stay grounded.

* * *

The next evening, they watched the third video while eating. Barnaby had surprised her by making crepes, effectively using some mushrooms with the last of her cheese and leftover chicken as a hearty filling. The smell was enticing enough to awaken the cat from its slumber, eyes like marbles peering up askingly at Barnaby as he flipped a crepe over in the pan. He merely indulged Anya in a small scratch behind the ears before continuing in his task. When the crepes were finished, he settled himself at the table with a plate in front him and another plate before the empty seat before him. And with the welcoming smile he sent her way, Kaede dragged herself over to sit down and enjoy the meal made for her.

They didn't really talk before getting into the video. Kaede was worn out from the long hours behind the desk reviewing the new case requests that had piled up in her inbox. Nothing had really come in yet for her current cases, not even from Dr. Hitch, so there wasn't much she could do at this point. And it made her feel lost, enough to the point where she'd zoned out a little while pressing a piece of crepe to her mouth. It saddened her when she caught herself. Kaede wanted to just enjoy the dinner Barnaby had made for her while watching the video, and those hung-up thoughts were spoiling it for her.

"Do you want to postpone tonight's video?" Barnaby asked gently, concern in his eyes. "You seem a bit out of it."

"No, just play it. I think it'd do me some good."

When it started playing, Kaede had never guessed just how right she was to have said that.

_"Alright, Barnaby. I'm sure you've been taking care of Kaede like you promised, so I need you to let her see this recording. I made it for her, but you can watch it with her all the same if you want."_

She stared intently at the screen, lips silent and fingers reaching out to cradle the phone in her hands.

_"Okay, Kaede sweetie, Daddy's here." Pressing a palm to his forehead, he gave off a sigh of a small, weary laugh, "Aw, geez. Sorry for the baby talk, I'm sure you're sick of it at this point. I know you're a grown woman, but you'll always be my little baby girl, you know? Man… you grew up so fast. I really wish I had been around more to actually see that happening. I know I let you down, Kaede, and I'm not sure there was anything I could do to make up for it, but nevertheless, I'm still sorry."_

The whisper passed her lips in reply, head shaking softly, "Dad…"

She'd told him time and time again that he'd been forgiven, that she understood he meant well in hiding it even if she too wished he'd been around more. All that time spent apart from him weighed on her heart, sure, because there was no going back to do the years over again. But she couldn't hate him for making an effort to turn things around during the years they did spend together. In fact, by the time he'd come back for good, she'd needed him then more than ever. The transition from adolescence into adulthood certainly would've been much tougher without him and his advice, his reassurances, the silent embraces that he gave her in all the times she needed them.

Sure, none of those things really changed the past, but he did what he could during his present and that was more than enough for her.

_"I learned something from this though. I regret not being there for you. But I don't regret what I spent that time on, because it meant that a number of people could continue living. And the sooner I realized that, the easier it was to stop beating myself up over everything I couldn't undo on your part. I don't mean that to say that their lives were more important than yours, but… ugh, damn, this isn't coming out right, is it? Wow, this is tough. How do I put this? I guess… what I'm trying to say to you is this… don't let your past stop you from fully living in the present. It's okay to have regrets over your mistakes, but keep the understanding in mind that sulking over it won't change anything. It's the effort you put in during the present that makes the difference. It's making sure tomorrow won't be wasted like yesterday was."_

And that was everything Kaede needed to hear that night.

* * *

The night of the final video, Kaede returned home slightly happier with herself than the night before. Because, that morning, both Dr. Hitch and Dr. Page had sent in all of their files all at once, which the investigator diligently read through, discerning which information was to be relayed to the hospital, and which was to remain undisclosed. And in that day's work, she'd made enough progress to feel accomplished for the day. She'd simply double-check the next morning before sending the files into the involved hospitals, and everything would proceed smoothly.

Leave it to Kotetsu's final video to jar her.

"_Good afternoon. This is Kotetsu T. Kaburagi. The time is currently 3:27 PM EST, March 9, NC 2000._"

Kaede froze up, spine stiffening when she quickly realized the significance of the date. With that, she and Barnaby glanced at one another, and they could see it in each other's eyes that they both knew. But, Barnaby didn't know there was any significance to the time.

"He recorded this," She choked up, words falling from her lips without thought, "not long after I left for class that day." And Barnaby could only gasp at that, returning his attention to the video.

_"I guess I'll make a confession here. Kaede, Barnaby, whoever's watching this, I… I'm… sorry I couldn't find it in me to mention it to you. Honestly, I was hoping just as much as you guys that maybe, I'd have enough dumb luck to pull through, but… well, simply put, I don't think that's possible anymore. Basically, I... had two heart attacks earlier this week. Last time, my heart didn't start back up until after twenty minutes. And that was a pretty close call. So… I made a decision, and I'm sorry if no one agrees with it. The other day, I asked to sign a do-not-resuscitate form. That means, if… if it happens again, that's it for me. And I don't think I'd want it any other way."_

"Dad… but why…?"

_"Listen, I…" He coughs a bit, sounding more than just wheezy, "I-I'm not going to make anyone worry about me like that. I don't want to be on the verge of death only to keep being brought back. It'll needlessly scare everyone, and… I think putting you guys through that once already was enough. So… if this is the last time…" He hacks a bit, the fit violent enough to make him cringe, "if this… is the last time I get to say anything then… Kaede, I love you. Thank you for forgiving your old man for everything he's done wrong by you. Barnaby, I love you. Thank you for marrying me and being the best damn partner I could've ever asked for. And… if someone can tell them, give Muramasa and Antonio my regards. I love them too. And tell Antonio he still… owes me twenty bucks… though…" He gave a soft laugh, causing him to cough again until suddenly, it was like the wind had been knocked out of him. And Kotetsu sat there with wide eyes, chest shaking with short, shallow breaths until... the video cut out right there with an unfinished yell from a doctor watching over him, ending the clip at three minutes. He died just as Kaede's class began that day._

Barnaby dropped the phone, utterly shaken by the sight of his husband dying on video. And the tears began spilling over his face as he garbled up his beloved's name in a sob. Kaede drew Barnaby to her, embracing him as she wept tears of her own. And they sat there crying together until their eyes had been cried dry. It soon turned into Barnaby comforting Kaede, running a soothing hand on her back, consoling her with the fact that her father had not been murdered.

And, as the grief subsided to a more manageable, dull pain, the idea came to Kaede.

"He," She hiccupped against Barnaby's shoulder, "signed a DNR."

* * *

"Good morning, Miss Carla Banks," Kaede gave a small bow to the woman on the phone's projection screen, "I've called regarding your family's case for some information. Would you mind if I asked you a question about Sharon Shale?"

"Oh, yes, what do you need, Miss Kaburagi?"

"I was wondering if your husband had ever signed a DNR for your stepdaughter. And if he has, would it be possible for him to send a copy of it over?"

Ms. Banks began with a stutter, "I-I don't… oh, no, he didn't sign anything like that, at least I don't think so! And I didn't either, considering the fact that I hadn't gotten the chance to even legally adopt her. Hold on a moment, I need to go check. He's here right now, actually. Do you want me to put him on the line?"

"Yes, please do. Thank you." Kaede shifted a pinky over the flap of Sharon's folder as she waited, looking down at the picture of the young girl, her hair falling around both sides of her chubby little face in two sleek braids. Kaede murmured to herself, brows furrowed, "Only four years old, huh?"

"Hello?" Edmond asked timidly, "Miss Kaburagi, you wanted to speak with me? How is the investigation going?"

"It's going well so far. Sorry for not returning your previous call, as I had closed up the office earlier that day. Anyhow, to answer your question, I've made slight progress on the end of your daughter's case, and found a significant lead in confirming whether or not she had been murdered. I just need to know one thing: if you've signed a DNR for her."

"Why, no. I never saw the need to do such a thing! Dr. Page kept reassuring me that her recovery was going well and that she still had a good chance of pulling through, even with her condition… so then, was my feeling really…?"

"I'm sorry, but… I have reasons to believe one of her doctors had possibly murdered her. And I might be able to confirm that today. If it turns out that this doctor really did, I'm afraid I don't have authority to legally arrest them. But with your consent, I can ask for state authorities to take up your case."

"R-Really?" Edmond stared wide-eyed, watching Kaede nod on the projection, "I… well. If that's how it is, please keep me updated on your findings. And… if the need does come up to have the police involved, so be it. You have my permission to disclose information in the case to them. Thank you very much for calling."

"Not a problem. Please, have a nice day."

After ending the call with Mr. Shale-Banks, she then dialed up Barnaby, asking him to give her a ride to the Century Center for Health. Glancing back down at the printout of Dr. Page's work hours, she counted off how many hours she had left before she missed this suspect entirely.

Kaede wouldn't let her slip away that easily.

* * *

As Barnaby slowed down at the stoplight, he turned to Kaede, who was still pouting over his skepticism at her claims, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

He only could repeat himself stubbornly, "Are you certain? I mean, aren't there other cases that require your attention?"

"I turned in everything else this morning to both Sternbild United and the Century Center, and yes, I did double-check before sending in the files. Nothing is out of place, so all that's left is just this case. I have extra copies of the necessary information from Dr. Page in this case file too."

"So then… what are you planning to do? Do private investigators even have the authority to make legal arrests?"

"Unfortunately, no. But it's not like I was really planning to arrest her anyway. Basically, I just need to talk to Dr. Page to see if what she has to say is consistent with my client's information. I also plan to talk to the other doctors who treated Sharon as well for added details, just to be certain. Then I have permission to turn my investigation over to federal authorities if my suspicions are confirmed. They'll handle the rest from there." Kaede sighed, "Although… I could also make a citizen's arrest if I obtain the right evidence, but… that would be pushing it a little. Anyhow… you know the reason I need you here this time, and I'd rather not let things get to that point, if it comes down to it."

"Kaede." He pressed his foot to the gas as the light turned green, eyes set back on the road. "Please be reassured that I trust you. But I just have one more question."

"Fire away, Old Man."

"Are you armed?"

Kaede spared him a look, turning to face her window, "I only have my staff on hand."

"Good," Barnaby affirmed, causing Kaede to startle a little.

"Barnaby? You don't think…"

"At this point, I think there's a good chance." He gripped the steering wheel, "Your father taught me to trust my gut. It's high time I trusted yours, Kaede."

* * *

Kaede had gone down the list of medical professionals who had been taking care of Sharon Shale, asking if the child had ever been issued a DNR, to which they all replied negatively, saying there was no need since she wasn't necessarily a terminally ill patient. One of them, Dr. Martin Krieg even said that the survival rate for the disease was quite high for children, enough so that Sharon's death was at least half a surprise to him. The consistency of the answers so far eased Kaede, until she came to the final specialist on her list: Dr. Layla C. Page, of course.

Barnaby could sense it, and he kept a hand on her shoulder as an attempt to soothe her. And though she appreciated the gesture very much, and sent a grateful smile back to him as thanks for his support, it didn't actually help. She could still feel her pulse thudding behind her ribcage, and the tension in her muscles, holding knowledge of Dr. Page that Barnaby does not.

"Before we go in, there' something I need to tell you, Barnaby."

"What is it?"

"She's a NEXT."

He gave a soft gasp, "How do you know?"

"The last time I met with Dr. Page, the time travel power activated." She explained, not looking back at him, "It went back five minutes as I was walking down the sidewalk back to the car, and I was at her front door then. I saw her power up and stop the hands of her clock. I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean, but be on guard."

"Alright." He nodded, giving her shoulder a short squeeze before letting go.

Kaede opened the door to the doctor's office so fluidly that it was as if she'd never paused on the handle.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kaburagi." Dr. Page greeted with a smile, her lipstick a vibrant shade of pink, "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," She bowed. "I understand you're busy, so I promise this shouldn't take long. Thank you for your time on such short notice."

"Not a problem. You had done the same for me, after all." Dr. Page stepped towards Barnaby, waving a hand towards him, "However, I'd rather this gentleman wait outside, if that won't be too much trouble. I believe this matter would be best kept between you and me, for the sake of privacy, yes?"

"Certainly. If that's what will make you comfortable." Kaede glanced over to Barnaby, and with this he merely nodded, a bit of stiffness in his step as he left the room. He could feel the doctor's eyes on him, tracing his movements cautiously until the door had been shut behind him.

With that, Dr. Page's eyes flipped back over to Kaede, smiling cordially, "Alright, now that that's settled, what was it you came to see me for? Are you missing any necessary files? "

"Not at all. I just came to ask a question."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"I was just wondering, to your knowledge, if Sharon Shale had ever been issued a DNR."

Dr. Page, with her eyes narrowed and arms crossed, replied, "Before I answer that, I'd like to know the purpose of you asking this question?"

"Simple. Her father asked me to investigate into her death."

"Have you asked_ him_ then? Certainly, _he_ was the one responsible for signing the form."

Kaede's eyes flickered to the clock on the wall, "Let's not drag this out, Dr. Page. Just tell me what you know."

Dr. Page paused, swallowing before replying slowly, "To my knowledge… I believe she was indeed issued a DNR, considering her condition. Put simply, leukemia is a very pervasive, ugly disease. She wasn't exactly doing very well when the form had been signed, and there was a very strong likelihood that she was about to die. I think it was an understandable decision."

"I see," Kaede smiled, jotting it down. With that, Dr. Page's expression softened with relief, until the investigator then elaborated, "That doesn't line up at all."

"Are you accusing me of lying, Miss Kaburagi? I'm merely telling you what I know." The words fell off the doctor's lips with a harsh edge, her tone sharp enough to stab but tender enough to sound wounded.

"Well, given the evidence, it very much seems like you are, Dr. Page." Kaede explained, "Among everyone I've questioned for this case, you are the only one who has told me she had been issued a DNR. I had also been told her condition was not particularly awful to point that a DNR would even be needed, and someone had even said that she was recovering quite well, according _to you_. Your story is inconsistent with all the information I've been given. Now, just tell me the truth. What happened to Sharon, Dr. Page?"

"She died," Dr. Page punctuated the last word, clenching her fists at her sides. "I made sure she would. Because that was what she deserved."

"Why?" Kaede asked, voice rising slightly, "She was _four_. What could a child that young have done for you to think she deserved to die?"

"It wasn't that she'd done anything in particular, Miss Kaburagi. It was what others were doing to her. Tell me, what point is there in ensuring the survival of a child when recovery meant she'd have to return to life with an abusive father?"

Kaede's eyes widened, "But… he wasn't…"

"That's what _you think_." Dr. Page glared, ranting defensively, "You see, just because he was a loving father doesn't mean he was a good one, Miss Kaburagi. Sharon woke up from many nightmares involving her father under my care. She expressed to me how scared she was of Daddy yelling at her, holding his hand up like he was going _to hit her_. Not to mention that the man visited so very _constantly_. He could be rather insistent when he wanted things his way, and some of the doctors were intimidated enough by him to let him stay past visiting hours. There was just no escape for this poor little girl. No wonder his first wife divorced him, and it's a shame she never got custody of Sharon instead. Maybe then, I would've thought she had a life worth returning to after treatment. Besides," she glared Kaede right in the face, "do you know how difficult it is to stand by and watch such a sweet, innocent child _suffer_ under sickness, day after day, miserable until you drugged her up?"

"So a mercy killing, is that it? You thought killing this child would fix all her problems?" Kaede nearly shouted, "You never even gave her a chance to see things get better! You had no right to end her life before she could even start to live it!"

"Be quiet!" Dr. Page hissed. "I did what I knew was right! And her death was painless because of my actions!" With this, the doctor ignited with a blue glow, holding up a single, shining finger, "For her, this touch was a gift. It made everything stop moving on the inside with just one press: no waning heartbeat, no spasms of lungs struggling to breathe. Just. Permanent. Stillness."

"You…" Kaede stepped backwards, frightened, but Dr. Page only closed in on her.

"This is a gift I'll need to give you too, I suppose. I can't let you leave now that you know my secret. It'll be easy to pass off what happened to you here today: that you had a heart attack, inheriting heart problems from your dear old dad."

"No!" Kaede shouted, fending off Dr. Page with a quick maneuver of her bag, knocking the doctor backwards, away from her. While she was down, Kaede took her chance to dig out her staff. Dr. Page rose again, lunging in only to have her wrist smacked away by Kaede. The crack that resulted was a sickening sound to both of them.

"Fuck!" Dr. Page howled, clutching her wrist. And with this, Kaede dropped her staff, backing away slowly. The doctor doubled over in pain, hunched over her injury. The investigator stood there, breathing heavily, pulse skyrocketing, watching every move Dr. Page made. She wouldn't lose her grip. This was just self-defense, she assured herself. This wasn't enough force to kill someone, unlike last time. No, everything was alright. She'd caught the suspect.

On that note, the door opened, Barnaby shouting, "Kaede! Are you alright?"

Kaede jolted, "Barnaby!"

"I heard yelling," was all he could offer, looking to the ground guiltily, worried that she might mistake it as distrust. But she only gave him a half-smile, setting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm alright, Barnaby. Just call the police." With that, she picked her staff back up, pointing it at Dr. Page, "Dr. Layla C. Page, you are under citizen's arrest for the homicide of a minor. You will be detained in this room until the authorities arrive. Attempting to escape or fight back will result in further charges being made against you, so stay exactly where you are."

She could only scoff, eyes never leaving her wrist, "What makes you think your justice is so right anyway? Laws define _nothing_. After all, there are exceptions to every rule." She looked up at Kaede, "Ultimately, I saved a daughter from a lifetime of abuse. You can call what I did a crime all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that what I did was right." Neither of them had a reply for that, especially Kaede, who couldn't help but find some partial truth to the words.

Was there any clear cut way of telling right from wrong? No, there wasn't, because the definition of justice was subjective according to various life experiences. For Kaede, to end someone else's life like that felt like a crime on every level, and so it always would be in her book, no matter the way the legal rulings fell.

From there, all sense of time slipped away. Kaede answered questions to federal investigators as the NEXT police apprehended her suspect, using special, power-cancelling suits to keep hold of Dr. Page. Pretty soon, Kaede was back in Barnaby's car, then sitting in her office finishing up paperwork to transfer the case over, then back at home.

"Another case closed, huh?" He commented blankly, throwing her bag over onto the couch.

"Well, not really." She replied a bit hollowly, finding it hard to believe it was all over, "Either way, it's not our business anymore. I'm just relieved that I managed to keep a grip on myself the whole time."

"You handled yourself so well back there, Kaede." He said, echoing the soft tone she'd remembered from her father on that last day, "I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks, Barnaby." Kaede closed her eyes with a chuckle, heading back to the car, "That means a lot."


	12. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, peeps, I hate to say it, but this is the last chapter! Sorry it took so long, because I had serious writer's block on how to finish this thing off, but anyhow, it's here now. Hope you enjoy, and thanks to everyone who's been reading along the whole time! Hope you all have a great summer! .o.
> 
> -Reddie

Four months later, a reminder went that life would go on regardless of anyone thinking it was all over.

Indeed, it was far from over after Kaede had transferred Sharon Shale's case. In late August, Dr. Page had been brought to trial after state investigators closed the case Kaede had passed onto them. It was in the afternoon that she had been summoned as a witness to speak about the confession of the murder. She opened the letter, read it aloud, and Barnaby could only stare down at his melting bar of red bean ice cream, until finally, she said she was going. He offered to drive her there, and she didn't refuse the offer.

They didn't get to stick around to hear the final verdict, but thanks to word from Ivan, who ended up involved with that particular case, it turned out that Dr. Page had not only been stripped of her medical license, but that she had also been sentenced to life in prison after confessing before the court that she had indeed killed the child. Kaede couldn't help but find it ironic, but fitting, seeing that Dr. Page would now be forced to live until the end of her days amongst the very monsters she didn't think worthy of her tax dollars. It was a brief wonder to the investigator how the federal authorities came up with enough evidence to support the claims, but then she remembered they had certain access to information that she did not.

And before any feeling of completion could settle over that deduction, Barnaby had invited Kaede to a very special event.

* * *

"…and to my little sister, if you're watching this, I send my congratulations on your marriage! I hope you two are blessed with a lifetime of happiness together!" Nathan beamed, catching the tender gaze of Ryan for just a moment before the gravity prince puffed up with arrogance again for the camera.

"So, tell us, Ryan." the host of the show nudged, "Is there anything _you'd_ like to say to your family back home?"

Barnaby shifted a little bit, having learned about Ryan's story a long time ago in the lockers back when they had been partners for that short time. He had attempted to get to know Barnaby only because he'd been prodded by Agnes to do so, and it ended up getting a little more personal than intended.

_"If you're so insistent on getting to know me," Barnaby had insisted, adjusting his glasses, "then you should tell me something about yourself first."_

_ "Like what, Junior?"_

_ Not bothering to correct the nickname anymore, he asked, "Why is it you only have pictures of your iguana on your desk? What about your family?"_

Ryan stood up.

"Oh, you _bet_ I've got something to say," He said, a bitter edge to his smirk. "Mom, Dad… I'd say a couple of specific words to you without hesitating if it weren't for the fact that I can't curse on public television. But, well, here I am now. Knew you thought I'd never amount to anything, but sucks to be so very wrong, don't it? I have everything you said I'd never get: I achieved fame, respect, and admiration. People think I'm awesome, and they don't think of me as just a freak worthy of ridicule. I'm more than you'll ever dream to be. Oh, and also?" He shot a wink towards Nathan, taking their hand and suddenly sweeping them up in his arms, "I _did_ actually find myself a smoking hot sweetheart who don't really mind that I swing _every_ way, so you can suck on _that_, you good-for-nothin' jerks."

The host gave up a hearty laugh, "There ya have it, folks! The Prince of Gravity and his Beloved Flame! Let's hear it for them and everything they've overcome together!"

A roar of applause sounded from the audience with that, and Ryan soaked it all in, with Nathan nuzzled happily into the crook of their lover's neck. It surprised Kaede to hear that, because she never would've guessed that someone with so much confidence had come from a past like that. And she couldn't help but clap along too. He deserved it, to feel loved and admired, to feel like a king if the fact of the matter was that he'd been treated like nothing by the people who were supposed to build him up the whole way.

As the cheers died away, the host then turned to the last interviewee, "And last but not least, Barnaby! Any words for your family?"

"Yes. To the living, because I know I've said more than enough to the dead while they were still around. This has long been overdue, but better late than never… Muramasa, if you're watching, thank you for welcoming me with open arms, and treating me like a brother. Thank you for being patient with me and standing by me while Kotetsu was in the hospital, and while we bore his casket side by side. You silently supported me through some of the toughest times in my life, so I can only hope that, in the future, I'll be able to give you my support if you ever need it. You have my gratitude for as long as I'm breathing."

He paused, now looking directly to one face in the crowd and one face only, "Kaede." He paused a moment, and then laughed, his mind scattering over a lifetime of memories with what he wanted to say to her. She watched him with shimmering eyes, and he repeated, "Kaede… where do I even begin? We've come a long way. When I saved a young girl from getting crushed by a crumbling building, I never imagined that she'd call me family someday. And at the time, I never imagined I'd call anyone family ever again. But then your father drew me into his life, and in turn, drew me into yours. I kept my distance, caring for your comfort more than anything. But I still wanted to be part of your life in whatever way you would let me. And more than anything, both Kotetsu and I wanted your future to be one without loneliness. So we promised to take care of one another, to live as long as we possibly could to stay at your side, keep you company for as many years as life would permit us."

"Barnaby…" She choked out, a soundless murmur.

Hand on his heart, he stated solemnly. "Now, it's been a year since your father passed away. And like him, I realize there are a number of things I cannot promise you for certain. I cannot possibly promise I can always be at your side exactly when you need me, or that I will never let you down. I can never promise to outlive you or that you will never have to live alone. But something I surely can promise you is to support you as best as I can, the way family should. And that I will love you as family should, treasure you as my own daughter even long past my dying day."

And with that, he concluded his reply. But this was just the start of a purposeful conversation. So, long after the host ran out of questions, and the former Heroes made their way back out to their own homes, Kaede seated herself next to Barnaby, shotgun seat as usual, and opened her mouth to ask an unanswered question brought up a long time ago.

* * *

"I don't know if you remember this, but I'll ask again," Kaede faltered briefly, before wrapping up, "in case you forgot."

He glanced over to her, ears attentive in interest, "Yes, Kaede?"

"Do you actually see me as your daughter, Barnaby?" And that was followed by a pause. Kaede swallowed at the brief silence. She knew there were public image pressures that came with being a Hero, even if he was retired, and it did cross her mind somewhere in the show that he may have been exaggerating just a little for the camera. But it wasn't as if she doubted the truth behind any of his words. She knew she could trust that much for certain.

He regarded her as family. He cared for her. He loved her.

Then he asked in return, "I can't quite answer that until I know what you see me as."

"Ah," Kaede leaned back in her seat a bit, fiddling with her clasped hands in her lap. "Well… you're family."

"I know that." He said softly.

"Is there really anything else to it?"

"Kaede, you know what I'm trying to ask."

She shifted her eyes towards the window, "Mm."

At last, he sighed, "I-I'm sorry. You don't have to talk about it. Like I said, your comfort is important to me. It always has been. So… I won't call you my daughter if it makes you uncomfortable." He reassured, "I told you I would never dream of replacing either of them, didn't I?"

"You're… you're not, Barnaby." She groaned, "Look, this really _is_ something I wanted to talk about, otherwise I wouldn't have brought it up in the first place. I just… wanted to know how you felt first, so… I got caught a bit off guard there." He didn't say anything or even look at her because his eyes were on the road, but she could feel that attention on her, waiting patiently. He'd give her all the time she needed to answer that question, even if it meant years. And it really had been years, so why waste any more time tiptoeing? She cleared her throat, speaking honestly, "I… I can't call you my dad. And I think you understand why. Stepdad, maybe, but even then… it doesn't click for me. I don't want to claim you as a parent. Because that's not what I feel you are to me."

"…I see." He nodded, his continued attention acknowledging that she wasn't done.

And so she went on, "To me, you've always been a role model. And a guardian, someone who was always looking out for me…" She let slip a small breath of a laugh, "Then growing up, I was always wondering whether or not you were trying to treat me like a child. But when it all came down to it, I figured that everything you said, everything you did for me… was just because you cared so much." She spoke firmly, her voice even and her face smiling. "Because, regardless of age, _I am_ your daughter, right?" Barnaby rubbed his eyes of happy tears yet to form, replying at last.

"Yes. You're my daughter, Kaede."

* * *

Five more months went by, bringing snowfall and the holiday season into Century City. Barnaby was busy secretly contemplating whether or not to sell his apartment in Sternbild, now that he's been living with his stepdaughter for almost a year now. It was a decision he kept to himself, much to Kaede's displeasure when she found out anyway through an overheard talk on the phone. But she couldn't find it in her to be mad at him when she thought about it. There were strong memories attached to that apartment, probably many meaningful conversations held by that window, near those steps, in his room. So letting go of that place for good was likely to be difficult, even if he wanted to.

Before he was through with thinking about it however, Christmas arrived. With that, Kaede drove him this time, to Oriental Town, where they had dinner with the rest of the Kaburagi family. And while Barnaby, Muramasa, and his wife Rei were busy catching up over beer at the liquor store, Kaede's now-teenaged cousin Kenji invited her to play _Mystery Quest_ on multiplayer with him in the attic.

It was a fairly amusing game, to say the least, as a private investigator and his apprentice starred as the main characters. And as they proceeded through story mode, Kaede didn't know whether to laugh or cry over the clichéd inaccuracy of the job's portrayal. Her patience with the developers of the game wore thin around the fourth case, where she and Kenji were chasing after a slippery sniper by the name of Gunther Markham down a dark alley, finally cornering him.

Kaede howled as the apprentice cuffed Gunther, "That's not even legal!"

"Holy _shit_, then what the hell are you actually allowed to do?" Kenji pouted, slouching back, "Damn, being a _real_ private investigator's gotta be dull then…"

"Absolutely not!" Kaede defended, "It has its exciting moments! Like—"

"Yeah, I know, Kaede. You and Uncle Barnaby wouldn't stop going on about that fight with the doctor, but even then, that was so _boring_! You just broke her wrist and babysat her until the cops came to pick her up."

"Did you miss the part," Her voice rose, "where my _life_ was in _danger_, Kenji, because I don't think that sounds like a mundane walk in the… park…" She slowed her tongue, before staring at him, "Wait… you called him Uncle Barnaby."

He shrugged, "Yeah? He's your stepdad, isn't he?"

"For simplicity's sake, sure." She waved, before pointing out, "But you never called him that before."

"Aw, I don't get why you're making such a big deal. He's dad's brother-in-law, plain and simple, right? So that means he's my uncle."

She remarked smartly, "And he wasn't before?"

"It's not like you were calling him 'Dad' right off the bat or anything!" He retorted. "Just… I had a bit of trouble figuring it out. Everybody else seemed to know, so they never bothered telling me that he and Uncle Kotetsu were married. I just kinda thought he was your dad's boyfriend the whole time."

"Oh…" Kaede nodded slowly, remembering that Kenji hadn't been born until a year after the wedding.

"I dunno. He kept his distance all those years, like he didn't wanna intrude or anything. But now…" He grinned, hearing laughter downstairs, "when he's talking it up with Dad like this, it's kinda hard to imagine him as _not_ my uncle, you know?"

"Yeah…"

"Say, is that why you call him 'Old Man'?"

"Huh?"

Kenji reiterated, "Do you call him Old Man because you don't wanna say Dad? Because if you ask me, that's actually a pretty clever way of distinguishing them."

She pauses, and then laughs a little, eyes wrinkling with a grin.

"You don't say…"

* * *

Some thoughts hang about in the air like the fragrance of burned incense.

And so the thought of what Kenji had said to her while they were playing _Mystery Quest_ stuck to her like a cloud of smoke floating about the atmosphere. After Kenji dozed off, Barnaby had made his way up to the attic with a request.

"Kaede…" he slurred, trying to hold an even voice despite his low level of sobriety, "I know it's late. Ah, hell, maybe it's too late, but that doesn't matter. Anyway… I was wondering if you'd be willing to drive me to Sternbild."

"Eh? But why?"

"To…" He hiccupped a little, "See my parents' grave… since it's the anniversary of their death too…"

Kaede stared for a moment, heart welling up with pity. Holiday or not, there was no way to untangle this day from their death. To think she'd almost forgotten about it stung her heart with a twinge of guilt. As much as she wanted Christmas to be happy for him, this part would always be here. To leave it out would be disrespectful. Love for one's parents doesn't break with death, after all…

"Sure thing, Old Man. I'll take you there."

Traffic was practically nonexistent, and it lent Kaede the opportunity to steal a glance at Barnaby's face, the way his glasses glinted under the street light and his stray silver hairs flowed with faded gold locks. He was aging like wine, she thought. Even now in his forties, she was certain another person would come along wanting so badly to kiss the wrinkles on that beautiful face, and uncover the stories hidden beneath his heartbeat. And maybe he would end up loving them back, cherishing them as much as he cherished everything that ring on his finger stood for.

That was fine with her, so long as he never forgot her dad, the same way Dad had never forgotten Mom.

Getting out of the car, his breath fell as a wheezing puff against the cold air. The thought was still lingering around her in the same way, but it didn't dissipate as easily into the atmosphere. He was her Old Man, Kenji had said. Barnaby didn't take Dad's place, or Mom's, but he had a special place of his own in Kaede's heart. And that was fine. There was no more guilt left to feel in claiming him as family, and nothing left to make her feel like she was keeping him at a distance.

After sweeping the snow off their headstone, he set a hand on her shoulder, "Mom, Dad. This is my daughter, Kaede." He wobbled a little, but with her support, he didn't topple over. She knew if she was waning too, he'd do the same for her. This was how they were.

And that felt right.

* * *

Because it felt right, she figured it was high time to do something about it.

He didn't question the carefree grin on her face when he drove her to work on New Year's Eve, and her head was spinning with a million words she wanted to say but couldn't quite articulate the way she wanted to. That's why she had decided instead to write them down, to make sure she could get the point across in the best way possible. She had made up her mind, and as far as she could tell, he'd be on board with it too. At least, that was what she was hoping.

A certain nightmare and the deepening wrinkles on Barnaby's face had brought her to the decision. She had to face it, that she wasn't lucky. Her mother died in a hospital bed. Her father died in a hospital bed. And so, if her old man had to face the same fate, she at least wanted to make sure she could be there for him, be at his side to send him off. She had already missed Tomoe by a mile and Kotetsu by just an inch, so if she could help it… she at least wanted to give Barnaby the blessing of not having to die alone. But she couldn't do that if she wasn't allowed in the hospital room, could she?

It was the only thing she could think about that day. So after a couple of hours of accepting and rejecting her most recently reviewed case requests, she set to work at the keyboard on a fresh blank document, hoping to write a letter explaining what led her to the decision. But even then, the right words would not come to her. After thirty wasted minutes of brainstorming, she abandoned the draft of the letter altogether and just printed out the necessary forms, tucking them away in her last manila envelope, before starting her research on one of her new cases. Maybe there were no right words to say. She could mention that she was trying to write him a letter during work, but that was pointless in the grander scheme of it all. Really, all it took for things to fall into place was action. He would know then, and she'd reassure him that she was certain if he was really so concerned.

* * *

They wouldn't be ringing NC 2002 in with a bang. The year would come quietly, flowing out smoothly like the setting sun into the sea.

"We should go mattress shopping next weekend."

"I'm fine on the couch for now."

"Yeah, for now. But I wouldn't want you to be sleeping on the couch forever, Old Man." She added, teasing, "You'll hurt your back."

He only scoffed at that, switching the subject, "How was work?"

"Same old, same old. Back to info retrieval." She leaned back, "And how was your day?"

"It was alright. I got in touch with Ivan, caught up with him on how everything was going. Figure it wouldn't hurt to keep myself busy again, so I'll be giving a talk at the NEXT Police Academy on Thursday. Then, maybe I could start visiting the orphanage again too." He smiled a bit sheepishly, "I don't know. You think I've been gone too long?"

"It's only been a year… and you had a lot on your mind." She said carefully, before adding, "Besides, it's not like you forgot about them altogether. You were still sending donations over. Anyhow, they'd be happy to see you again, so I don't see any harm in going back."

He nodded, pausing silently before asking, "Say, Kaede… do you think I should keep my apartment?"

"Only if you want."

"I won't be living there anymore though."

"So, should I count that as a 'yes' for mattress shopping then?" She remarked, and with that, he gave up a laugh. "I get that there are memories in that apartment, Barnaby. It's okay to hold onto them. Besides… Sternbild is your hometown, isn't it?" He made a pensive expression, and with that, she sighed, "You have plenty of time to sort this out…"

"No, I… think I want to sell it," He said suddenly, looking fairly resolved on the matter. "Not now, but at a later date. Perhaps in a few months, and I'll clear the place out."

"Mm."

By then, the car had been parked, and they headed into the flat, two hours away from NC 2002. Kaede had cooked up some pancakes, saying that round food—the shape of coins—ensured financial success in the upcoming year. Barnaby could only smile at that, and he poured the sparkling cider to toast when the hour struck. Around eleven, that was when Kaede dug out the folder, and handed it to him without a word.

Blinking curiously, he inquired, "What is this?"

"Open it." She watched him in anticipation as he lifted the flap of the envelope and studied its contents carefully. His eyes widened behind his glasses when he realized what he was looking at.

"These are… adoption papers?"

"Mhm."

"But you're over eighteen."

"It'll still work. You're still legally allowed to adopt me, and these are different forms than the ones they use for minors. I already signed my name. I was… just wondering if you'd sign yours."

He looked to her, eyes full of love and disbelief, "Kaede, are you sure?"

"That's what I'm trying to ask you." Her voice was soft, patient.

His hands shook, "I…"

"It's fine if you don't want to. Because I get it. Papers won't change the fact that I'm already your daughter." She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Love and support are the only things you need to make a family, and that's enough for me."

He set the forms to the side so that he can embrace her.

"I promised your father I'd take care of you," He said tenderly, "so I don't see why I wouldn't sign." But he made no move to shift away, not that she objected to the slowness anyhow, because it made her feel loved. She missed this kind of contact for such a long time, and she was happy to finally enjoy it during a moment like this. She didn't want this to slip away so quickly.

He wanted it to last as well, just a minute longer to cherish the sound of his daughter's heartbeat. He knew he wasn't holding a newborn, but like that mattered. It felt like he was holding the world in his hands, and he wondered if this is what it must've felt like for Kotetsu right after Kaede had been born. If he was going to take on this role, he wanted nothing but the best for her. He wanted to show her love in the way his own parents had shown him. He wanted her to know she'd be loved for the rest of her days, even long after he was gone.

Because that was how love worked, at least in his eyes. It was an infinite, endless thing that could outlast death and endure into eternity. That's why a wedding band is a circle, a shape undefined by ending points. And perhaps… that could also be a reason a pancake was a circle too.

Anya cut in, wanting some affection of her own, and neither Barnaby nor Kaede could find it in them to deny the dear creature's whims. And after the cat had been satisfied with a nice belly rub, Barnaby swiftly filled out the forms, careful not to miss any spaces where his name was required. Kaede briefly took off to finish cooking the last of the pancakes. She cut it close: five minutes to midnight when she finally laid the last one down on a plate. Barnaby had turned on the TV for the countdown, commenting that he would definitely go mattress shopping with her later in the week.

"Happy New Year, Old Man." Then, as they toasted to NC 2002, he smiled. It was like history was repeating itself in whatever way it could, because she made him believe again, in something her father had made him believe for twenty happy years.

Forever existed.


End file.
